Lead Principal Systems Engineer - Zero Boil Off Verified today

About the role

You will be the Lead Principal Systems Engineer for the Zero Boil Off (ZBO) cryocooler program, based in Kent, WA. As the single-threaded technical leader, you own the system architecture and technical baseline across all products: turbomachinery, heat exchangers, avionics, software, and fluid and electrical interfaces. You lead all systems engineering activities for the team and serve as the primary technical interface to vehicle customers.

There is no standard day in this role. You may run a MATLAB cycle model to close a cooling-versus-input-power trade, review P&ID or avionics interfaces with design engineers, negotiate mass, power, and envelope allocations with a vehicle team, chair a design review, or present risk-based recommendations to executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end thermal cycle systems requirements for flight: architecture, technical baseline, performance, and margins across all cryocooler products
• Understand thermodynamic cycles such as Reverse Brayton, Joule-Thomson, and similar
• Serve as technical authority during flight hardware design with signature authority for system-level changes, risk dispositions, nonconformances, and failure review boards
• Act as primary technical interface to vehicle customers: elicit, negotiate, and document requirements and interfaces (mechanical, fluid, electrical, power, controls, data, mass, envelope, thermal, materials)
• Develop and maintain launch and in-space CONOPS across ground processing, launch, ascent, coast, and long-duration operations, covering all operating modes and off-nominal scenarios
• Develop and maintain MBSE and physics-based system models characterizing architecture performance
• Lead performance trade studies and turn analytical results into architecture and design decisions
• Provide technical oversight across all product engineering disciplines (avionics, software, fluids, thermal, turbomachinery)
• Lead all ZBO systems engineering activities and define the team's weekly technical rhythm
• Develop ZBO product roadmaps and technical strategies, including evolution paths for future capability and new vehicle applications

Minimum qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Systems Engineering, or closely related technical field
• 10+ years designing, analyzing, qualifying, and launching flight hardware with progression to lead or principal roles
• Experience serving as technical authority or lead systems engineer for a complex flight system or subsystem from concept through qualification
• Proven customer-facing technical interface: negotiating and defending requirements, interfaces, and resource allocations (mass, power, envelope)
• Strong working knowledge of thermodynamic cycles and cryogenic or thermal-fluid systems, including building, running, and interpreting cycle performance models (MATLAB or equivalent)
• Experience defining and managing system-level requirements, ICDs, traceability, and V&V strategies across large, multi-source requirement sets
• Experience leading technical gate reviews, including entry/exit criteria and action closure
• Working knowledge of P&IDs and fluid system design, with familiarity across avionics, electrical power, and controls
• Familiarity with launch vehicle and space system CONOPS and flight environments
• U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum

Preferred qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related technical field
• 15+ years in systems engineering roles of increasing scope on space flight hardware
• Depth in cryogenic or thermal-fluid systems such as cryogenic fluid transfer, long-duration cryogenic storage, or cryocooler systems (pulse-tube, Gifford-McMahon, Joules-Thomson, Reverse Brayton, etc.)
• Proven ability to lead a product through full lifecycle: concept, design, qualification, integration, launch, and operations
• Experience with MBSE tools (Cameo, Rhapsody, MATLAB) and requirements/config management tools (Jama, DOORS NG, Windchill)
• Experience with physics-based and thermal-fluid modeling (Simulink, Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, Fluent, CFX, or equivalent) and scripting (Python or equivalent)
• Experience with motor controllers, high-speed motor drives, or power electronics for flight systems
• Experience developing product roadmaps, technology maturation plans, and technical strategies for new-technology products
• Familiarity with NASA SE processes and review standards (e.g., NPR 7123.1)
• Startup or small-team experience building processes and products from the ground up
• Experience with AI-assisted tools to accelerate design, analysis, or technology maturation

Compensation and logistics

Base pay range for WA applicants: $169,624 to $237,473. Other site ranges may differ.

This position is based in Kent, WA. Relocation is provided. Travel expected up to 25% of the time to support customer coordination, testing, and launch activities.

Interviews will include a technical assessment.