Space Ground Systems Engineer (TS/SCI)

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Space Ground Systems Engineer to support a critical mission for US Space Force in El Segundo, CA. The team is seeking an individual skilled with systems engineering an project management to oversee various architecting and engineering activities for the SSC Domain Awareness and Combat Power system program office.

Clearance: Active TS/SCI required

Location: El Segundo, CA (100% on-site)

This job opens for applications on 9/25/2025. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date

Responsibilities of the Ground Systems Engineer:

• Lead and support systems architecture and engineering efforts, including defining system requirements, designing solutions, managing interfaces, developing data architectures, conducting verification and validation, performing integration and performance analysis, estimating lifecycle costs, conducting decision analysis, and evaluating physical configurations.
• Define, evaluate, and manage technical and interface requirements for ground segment systems. Facilitate interface negotiations with external stakeholders and oversee verification of requirements and interfaces.
• Manage and assess the software product backlog to align with baseline and evolving requirements. Provide strategic recommendations to prioritize development tasks, enhance solutions, and improve implementation quality.
• Ensure product requirements are logically and systematically translated into comprehensive system solutions that consider technical feasibility, schedule constraints, and cost efficiency.
• Contribute to the development of key systems engineering artifacts such as CONOPs, requirements (features, themes, epics), system testing plans, algorithm documentation reviews, and integration with other application development initiatives.
• Assist in refining acquisition strategies, identifying execution challenges, and offering actionable recommendations to improve program outcomes.

Qualifications of the Ground Systems Engineer:

• Top Secret/SCI Clearance required
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or relevant discipline and 18 years or more of experience (or 4 additional years of experience in lieu of degree).
• Expertise in technical program management, systems engineering, and government acquisition processes for space systems within the Space Control domain.
• Proficient in modern software development practices including containerization, orchestration, DevSecOps, and Agile methodologies.
• Experienced in integrating critical ground segment components such as cloud-based infrastructure, Platform as a Service (PaaS) environments, and antenna systems.
• Knowledgeable in implementing "Zero-Trust" cybersecurity frameworks across both software and hardware platforms.
• Skilled in software systems engineering, design, and architecture development.
• Hands-on experience with Agile software development techniques, CI/CD pipeline implementation, and continuous integration and deployment strategies.

Compensation of the Ground Systems Engineer:

• Total compensation based on experience level - $195,000-$220,000+ **based on years of experience**
• Full Benefits: PTO, 11 Paid Holidays, Sick leave as required by state law, Medical, Dental, and Vision, 401k with ADP
• Certification reimbursement
• Long-term program

Keywords: Systems architecture, requirements engineering, interface management, space systems integration, DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, Agile development, cloud infrastructure, Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service IaaS), TS/SCI, CI Polygraph, top secret/sci, polygraph, hiring, opentowork, California, Onsite, W2, security clearance, Federal, DoD, containerization, orchestration, Kubernetes, Docker, software verification and validation, mission operations, CONOPS development, data architecture, system performance analysis, lifecycle cost estimation, zero-trust security, cybersecurity compliance, cloud-native applications, automated testing, continuous deployment, configuration management, stakeholder engagement, technical documentation, algorithm development, ground segment systems, network architecture, system scalability, fault tolerance, monitoring and observability, cross-domain integration, space control systems, government acquisition, technical program management.