Principal Systems Engineer

As a Principal Systems Engineer at Vast, your primary responsibilities will include negotiating technical program requirements, developing a requirements management system, leading system architecture trades, and guiding the fault management strategy for our space stations. You'll collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to quantify performance metrics and support verification milestones, ensuring that projects like Haven-1 are on track for success.

To qualify for the Principal Systems Engineer role at Vast, candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline, coupled with a minimum of 10 years of experience managing technical systems. Experience as a lead in aerospace systems engineering, particularly with product complexity, and a strong hold on verification and validation processes are highly preferred.

The salary range for the Principal Systems Engineer position at Vast is between $200,000 and $230,000. This competitive pay reflects the expertise needed for the role, alongside a comprehensive compensation package that includes equity, healthcare, and flexible work benefits.

The Principal Systems Engineer at Vast will be directly involved in projects centering around artificial gravity space stations like Haven-1. This will include developing system architectures, managing technical risks, and ensuring that all designs meet the stringent standards required for space exploration and long-term human habitation.

Vast supports the growth of its employees by fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. The Principal Systems Engineer will have opportunities to lead design reviews, participate in training sessions, and gain insights by working closely with talented team members across various engineering disciplines, essentially nurturing both personal and professional development.

When defining program requirements for complex projects like those at Vast, I take a collaborative approach by engaging with both business and technical stakeholders to gather insights. I believe in establishing clear communication channels and developing a structured requirements management system that allows stakeholders to access and understand the specifications easily.

To manage system performance metrics effectively, I utilize modeling and simulation tools that provide quantitative data on system behavior under various conditions. This data allows me and my team to make informed technical decisions and identify potential performance issues early in the development process.

Leading cross-functional teams requires strong communication and the ability to foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders. I prioritize regular meetings to ensure alignment on goals, encourage input from all team members, and resolve conflicts or blockages swiftly to keep projects on schedule.

Enhancing design reliability in aerospace engineering starts with creating rigorous verification and validation criteria. I advocate for a 'test-like-you-fly' mentality, which means that we design tests that closely mimic actual mission conditions to ensure our systems will perform optimally in space.

In my past projects, I’ve developed comprehensive fault management strategies by analyzing potential failure modes and establishing clear protocols for mitigation. Regular reviews of past anomalies paired with proactive testing help to ensure that we build resilience into our systems from the outset.

I prioritize project milestones by setting clear, achievable goals and aligning the team to these objectives. Utilizing project management tools and systems, I track progress and hold regular check-ins to identify and address any potential delays promptly.

Verification and validation are fundamental to our engineering process as they assure that we meet the required specifications and that our systems perform as intended. I integrate both throughout the project lifecycle, using analytical and experimental methods to validate our designs consistently.

One significant challenge I encountered involved aligning stakeholder priorities during a critical design phase. I facilitated a series of focused discussions that allowed everyone to voice their concerns, leading us to agree on a compromise that balanced technical feasibility with business needs, ultimately keeping the project on track.

Teamwork is absolutely vital for a Principal Systems Engineer, as cross-disciplinary cooperation is crucial to successful project execution. I believe in cultivating a collaborative environment where ideas can flow freely and everyone's expertise is leveraged to drive innovation.

The future of systems engineering in aerospace will likely involve increased integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, enhancing our ability to predict system performance and manage complexities. I see a growing emphasis on adaptability and real-time decision-making in mission-critical environments as we push the boundaries of space exploration.