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Principal Ground Systems Engineer - Mission Architecture and Systems Engineering Verified today

Vantor · Westminster, CO · Space Systems · first seen 2026-08-01
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About the role

The SpaceWrx division of Vantor develops next-generation satellite systems, ground infrastructure, and mission operations capabilities. The Mission Architecture and Systems Engineering (MASE) team provides technical leadership that transforms customer missions into integrated, executable system architectures spanning spacecraft, payloads, communications, ground systems, software, and mission operations.

We are seeking a Principal Ground Systems Engineer - Mission Architect to serve as a technical leader across multiple complex development programs and strategic business initiatives. This role requires broad systems engineering expertise, exceptional architectural judgment, and the ability to translate customer mission needs into innovative, technically sound system solutions.

As a senior member of the MASE organization, you will lead architectural development, facilitate technical decision-making across engineering organizations, and ensure mission objectives are successfully translated into executable system designs. You will collaborate closely with Engineering, Product, and Go-to-Market teams to shape future capabilities, influence product strategy, and ensure the technology roadmap aligns with customer priorities and corporate objectives.

You will actively engage with customers, support business development activities, contribute to proposals and demonstrations, and help define mission-enabling solutions that differentiate Vantor in a rapidly evolving commercial and national security space market.

Key responsibilities

  • Lead the development of mission architecture and high-level system designs for complex satellite, ground, and mission operations systems.
  • Translate customer mission objectives into executable technical concepts through systems engineering analysis, architectural decomposition, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
  • Lead technical design reviews and architecture reviews while ensuring engineering decisions align with mission objectives, program constraints, and long-term product strategy.
  • Establish and maintain the technical baseline through development of Concepts of Operations (ConOps), use cases, requirements, interface definitions, system architectures, and verification strategies.
  • Review and approve lower-level architectural and systems engineering products to ensure technical consistency, completeness, and alignment with the overall system architecture.
  • Facilitate cross-functional collaboration among spacecraft, payload, software, communications, ground systems, mission operations, and specialty engineering teams.
  • Conduct architectural trade studies, mission analyses, technology assessments, and technical evaluations that inform product direction and customer solutions.
  • Partner with Engineering, Product, and Go-to-Market organizations to ensure future capabilities address customer mission needs while supporting Vantor's strategic objectives.
  • Support customer engagements through technical presentations, demonstrations, architecture workshops, RFIs, proposals, and solution development activities.
  • Mentor systems engineers by promoting sound engineering judgment, disciplined systems engineering practices, and a culture of technical excellence.
  • Drive continuous improvement of systems engineering methods, architectural frameworks, digital engineering capabilities, and lifecycle development practices across the organization.

Minimum qualifications

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen
  • Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
  • Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible systems engineering experience supporting complex aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, or other multidisciplinary engineering programs.
  • Demonstrated technical leadership across complete system lifecycles from mission concept through deployment and sustained operations.
  • Extensive experience developing mission architectures, Concepts of Operations (ConOps), operational concepts, system architectures, and high-level technical designs for ground systems supporting satellite missions.
  • Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary architectural development across spacecraft, payloads, ground systems, communications, software, and mission operations. Broad and deep knowledge of ground systems domains including command and control, mission management, processing, and data delivery.
  • Strong understanding of systems engineering methodologies spanning the complete systems engineering V-model, including mission analysis, architecture development, requirements engineering, implementation, integration, verification, validation, and operational support.
  • Experience developing and maintaining technical baselines through requirements management, architectural decomposition, interface definition, and lifecycle traceability.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead technical design reviews, facilitate architectural trade studies, and drive engineering consensus across multiple organizations.
  • Experience reviewing and approving technical designs to ensure architectural consistency, technical integrity, and alignment with mission objectives.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams, executive leadership, customers, and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to influence technical direction through collaboration, engineering rigor, and sound technical judgment.

Preferred qualifications

  • Experience leading end-to-end systems engineering for satellite constellations, remote sensing systems, defense space systems, or other complex distributed architectures.
  • Expertise in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies using SysML and tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler, Enterprise Architect, or MagicDraw.
  • Experience with requirements management platforms including IBM DOORS Next, Jama Connect, Polarion, or equivalent tools.
  • Experience leading architecture reviews, design reviews, and technical baseline approvals throughout system development.
  • Experience conducting mission analysis, architecture trades, technology evaluations, and feasibility studies to inform technical and business decisions.
  • Experience developing Interface Control Documents (ICDs), system specifications, and verification strategies.
  • Familiarity with digital engineering practices and model-centric development methodologies.
  • Experience supporting customer engagements through technical presentations, demonstrations, white papers, Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and proposal development.
  • Experience collaborating with product management, business development, and executive leadership to shape technology roadmaps and product strategies.
  • Working knowledge of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, and modern systems engineering best practices.
  • Experience supporting Agile or iterative development environments while maintaining disciplined systems engineering processes.

Compensation

Base pay for this position within Colorado is $135,000.00 - $180,000.00 - $198,000.00 annually. Starting pay will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range.