System Engineer

Systems Engineer

In-orbit experimentation | Orbital payload development

GTS is working with a company that designs and flies automated experiments in orbit. As their work moves from first missions towards a larger, repeatable service, they are expected to add a Systems Engineer to hold the technical definition of the payload together across hardware, software, and the spacecraft it flies on.

This is a broad role with real ownership. You would sit at the centre of a cross-functional team and make sure the payload that flies to orbit does what the mission needs, survives the trip, and returns usable data.

About the role

You would own the system-level engineering of an automated experimentation payload, from requirements through to integration, test, and flight. The work spans a wide set of subsystems: liquid handling and fluidics, thermal control, imaging and optics, robotics and automation, avionics, power, and data handling. A large part of the job is managing the interfaces between those subsystems, and between the payload and the launch and station providers that carry it.

Key responsibilities

Capturing, decomposing, and managing system requirements, from mission objectives down to subsystem level

Defining and controlling interfaces between subsystems, and between the payload and its host platform

Leading verification and validation, including test planning, integration and test campaigns, and acceptance testing under representative conditions

Running trade studies and supporting design decisions that balance the needs of the experiments against the constraints of spaceflight, such as mass, power, volume, and autonomy

Working day to day across a team of scientists and engineers spanning hardware, software, and operations to keep the system coherent

Shaping how experiments run autonomously on orbit, how they are monitored remotely, and how data is returned

Producing the system documentation, interface control documents, and verification evidence needed for internal work and for reviews with agency and commercial partners

What you will need

Solid systems engineering experience across the full development lifecycle on complex hardware and software systems

A track record in requirements management and interface management

Hands-on experience of verification, validation, integration, and test

Comfort working across disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, and software, and translating between specialists

Experience of hardware built for demanding or regulated environments, such as space, aerospace, industrial, or defence

Clear technical writing and the confidence to present and defend design decisions in review

Nice to have

Spaceflight hardware experience, whether payloads, satellites, or experiments flown on a station

Familiarity with space assurance processes and standards, such as ECSS or an equivalent agency framework

Experience with automated instrumentation, fluidics, or robotics for experiment platforms

Experience integrating hardware with launch providers or crewed platforms

A recognised systems engineering qualification, for example INCOSE certification

Education

A degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

If this is the kind of problem you want to work on, apply now and we'll be in touch with more detail.