Systems Engineer III

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

This role is part of our Tactical Missiles and Integrated Defense Systems business, which designs and develops integrated missile and defense systems that support critical missions across air, land, and sea. We combine comprehensive analysis, engineering, and program execution capabilities to deliver mission-tailored solutions that reduce lead times, lower costs, and simplify complex multi-vendor supply chains. Backed by decades of flight-proven and fielded performance, we design and build mission-critical technologies including launch systems, propulsion, payload integration solutions, UAV components, missile subsystems, and Safe & Arm systems.

In this role, you will guide multidisciplinary engineering teams through complex system development cycles by driving technical planning, coordinating program-wide technical activities, and validating system-level compliance. You will advance product maturation by balancing design, analysis, and testing, ensuring system architecture decisions, requirements, and verification processes support robust, mission-ready aerospace and defense systems.

Responsibilities

• Provides program-level technical oversight to ensure systems meet all applicable requirements.
• Balances engineering design, analysis, and testing to develop robust mechanical and aerospace systems.
• Drives system-level architecture decisions by modeling system behavior and supporting requirement decomposition.
• Verifies and documents system compliance with defined requirements.
• Leads development of test plans to validate system performance.
• Supports creation of engineering reports, documentation, and technical presentations.
• Contributes to development of interface control drawings and interface description documents.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field; or a master’s degree in a related field.
• Typically 4–7 years of aerospace or defense engineering experience.
• Experience with development of mechanical systems and structures, electronics, electrical cabling, system integration, and qualification testing.
• Proficiency in general aerospace engineering principles including structural analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), physics-based modeling, dynamics, kinematics, advanced materials, design, and test.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in planning and executing multidisciplinary engineering projects.
• A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing systems engineering support during proposal phases, including compliance matrix reviews and rough‑order‑of‑magnitude (ROM) labor estimates.
• Experience with DOORS Next Generation (DNG) and Jazz Team Server (JTS) Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) for requirements capture, traceability, and configuration control.
• Experience performing Concept of Operations (ConOps) analyses and defining system use cases and mission environments.
• Experience decomposing system‑level requirements into subsystem and component-level requirements for aerospace, space, or defense programs.
• Experience with Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), including use of Block Definition Diagrams (BDD) and Internal Block Diagrams (IBD) for defining system interfaces.
• Experience conducting system architecture trade studies focused on performance, cost, and weight.
• Experience leading program risk management activities, including documentation, facilitation, and tracking.
• Experience working with Verification Compliance Review Matrix (VCRM) processes to ensure requirements traceability to test and qualification plans.
• Experience collaborating across software, hardware, and integrated engineering teams to align system solutions.
• Experience with system safety processes including Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), fault-tree analysis, and safety-critical design.
• Knowledge of regulatory and certification processes, including NASA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) standards.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company‑paid life and AD\&D insurance
• Short‑ and long‑term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.