Spacecraft Ground Operations Engineer

Job ID: 2617755
Location: Chantilly, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-10-08
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 10% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a Spacecraft Ground Operations Engineer. This position is located in Chantilly, VA and requires an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

The Spacecraft Ground Operations Engineer will support a program office for a Major System Acquisition that requires a computer scientist or engineer with technical expertise in spacecraft mission integration and operational support. The Spacecraft Ground Operations Engineer will be an integral participant in spacecraft ground segment design analysis, verification and developer selloff of requirements. Additionally, this individual will be intimately involved in spacecraft initialization and on orbit checkout for the spacecraft and all payloads.

The Spacecraft Ground Operations Engineer will serve as a SETA with responsibilities that may include but not limited to the following:
Provide on-site, direct support for major program acquisitions
Participate in factory and operation base activities such as witnessing tests at all levels (unit, segment, system) and providing feedback to government and SETA team members
Participate in Agile Increment planning and reviews
Participate in engineering review boards, manufacturing review boards, failure review boards, and applicable working groups both in-person and remotely
Provide status feedback on process improvements and recommendations on best path forward
Participate in document reviews (test procedures, design, management) and witness tests and demonstrations
Provide support to integration and satellite on-orbit test as required by the customer
Review and provide technical evaluations of developer's Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs)
Participate in developer milestone reviews (e.g. pre-test, pre-ship and other meetings); provide evaluations regarding satisfaction of review entrance and exit criteria
Support factory integration and test activities and interact with flight and payload operators
Develop productive relationships with prime contractor counterparts, functional counterparts, and other spacecraft subsystem subject matter experts
Advise and mentor USG personnel regarding spacecraft ground software segment design elements
Qualifications
Bachelors in Computer Science, Engineering or related field and 9 years relevant experience, Masters and seven (7) years or more experience; PhD and four (4) years or more experience; Additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree
Active TS/SCI Clearance with Polygraph
Knowledge of systems engineering and mission assurance specifications and standards
Experience with Agile development and methodology
Experience with Cloud platforms, services, and security
Experience with Agile S/W development
Familiarity with the Phoenix Ground system is preferred
Experience in the design & integration of satellite software and knowledgeable of launch & flight operations of space vehicles
Experience in DoD and IC acquisition and program management processes
An understanding of full life cycle system support, from procurement to launch, including requirement analysis, requirements tracking, system design and development through system test, installation and sell-off, delivery, and hardware development, testing, analysis, and requirements verification
Basic understanding of DoD/IC satellite systems and architectures
Familiarity with space systems ground support and hardware acquisitions
Available to travel occasionally domestically
Ability to travel occasionally (with extended travel during initialization of spacecraft)
Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000.

The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors. SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects.

SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .