Sr. Director, Systems Engineering

Sr. Director, Systems Engineering

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Maxar is currently seeking a Sr. Director of Systems Engineering with world class systems engineering skills to join our Palo Alto based Maxar Space team. This position may be performed remotely within the United States, but a preferred candidate would be based in Palo Alto, CA. This is a leadership position reporting to the VP and Chief Engineer of Maxar Space and is responsible for a team that performs the day-to-day execution of systems engineering across all pursuits and programs. This individual will be responsible for driving systems engineering excellence on all execution teams, setting/modernizing systems engineering work product standards, tools and process, and building a diverse team of talented systems engineers. The successful candidate will have direct experiencing leading systems engineering through the full life cycle on new development programs.

Responsibilities:

• Staff all proposals and executions with qualified engineers.
• Establish Systems Engineering execution and performance metrics for programs
• Provide tools to enable smooth & timely trade study completion and architectural decision-making
• Lead, mentor, train, and support a team of system engineers responsible for the design, analysis, and verification of spacecraft systems
• Establish Integrated Product Team Lead and Cost Account Management Expertise throughout the Systems Engineering function
• Provide senior technical oversight to ensure the expected quality, rigor, and discipline of systems engineering is maintained
• Look across projects to ensure process consistency and adherence to system engineering standards
• Provide leadership to improve and/or transform systems engineering processes to keep Maxar on the leading edge of aerospace development approaches and standards.
• Ensures development teams properly identify technical risks and opportunities, appropriate risk mitigation and action plans are put in place, and risks are retired to meet programmatic timelines.
• Actively consults with Engineering and Manufacturing department leadership and technical leaders in other organizations, to ensure all stakeholders are represented in key decisions
• Provides senior leadership in activities that ensure the organization continues to be a 'learning organization'.
• Lead the recruiting, interviewing and hiring processes for organization

Measurements of Success:

• Sufficient capable systems engineering staff to support program execution and strategic initiatives
• Proactive Systems engineering program execution to include cost, schedule and technical performance
• Training program to develop internal Systems Engineering excellence

Authority:

• Hire and fire direct staff
• Assignment of dedicated personnel to programs and pursuits
• Processes and standards used for systems engineering responsibilities

What we look for in a Leader:

As a people leader at Maxar we expect you to demonstrate the following key leadership qualities at all times: Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Curiosity and Courage. All leaders at Maxar align their actions with our Maxar leadership framework which is built on 3 Factors; Personal Grit, Team Engagement & Business focus.

• Personal Grit: Recognizing situations when priorities shift and adjusting to maintain perspective. Acting as a role model in challenging situations, managing your own emotions and believing in the capacity of all team members to learn and grow.
• Team Engagement: Leading with empathy and concern or others' physical and mental health, and focusing on team member needs for inclusion, development and growth.
• Business Focus: Maintaining a business focus, and continuing to honor our commitments to customers, partners and employees with a view to the future

• Strategic decision making: Makes good and timely decisions that keep initiatives and programs moving forward. Ability to make sound decisions in the presence of information ambiguity.
• Financial Acumen: Understands the financial aspects of decisions being made and uses that information in the decision making process
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Builds effective teams: Builds strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Drives for results: Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances.
• Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
• Courage: Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said
• Ability to delegate while remaining accountable for outcomes

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Bachelor degree in engineering, or related technical field.
• 15 years of engineering experience in an aerospace engineering discipline (systems engineering, software engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other relevant area)
• 8 years of experience in systems engineering, system architecting, product management, or equivalent, with a minimum of 5 years of experience as a manager or program lead
• Able to travel up to 25%

Desired Qualifications:

• Current/active TS/SCI security clearance
• Masters degree or higher in Physics, Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of commercial space architectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods required and be able to strategize unique solutions.
• Knowledge of USG space architectures, missions, systems, requirements, and acquisition methods required and be able to strategize unique solutions.
• Direct Experience with model based systems engineering, digital engineering infrastructure, agile and hybrid agile execution methodologies
• Able to directly lead a team of engineering professionals in solving challenging problems
• Working familiarity with applicable aerospace industry standards and best practices (Mil, NASA, ESA, AIAA, IEEE, etc.)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with superior customer relationship building ability, and business acumen
• Strong presentation skills
• Strong team building skills; demonstrated ability to effectively mentor and train both senior and junior personnel
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting trade studies that optimize technical performance, cost, schedule, and risk to meet system need
• Demonstrated expertise in performing requirement development and decomposition
• Demonstrated expertise in performing system CONOPS development and functional decomposition
• Demonstrated experience in the system test and verification process.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and elevate the quality of systems engineering within a program or larger team.
• Broad technical understanding of space markets segments
• Broad technical understanding of different space missions (such as communications, imagery, etc.), driving technical requirements, and associated concepts of operation

Maxar employees must follow all applicable Maxar policies and COVID-19 requirements as well as those of Maxar customers and third parties. Individual job requirements may vary, and Maxar reserves the right to modify its policies and requirements as it deems appropriate in accordance with applicable law.

Maxar Technologies values diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.