Sr. Ground Systems Engineer - SAT Ops

*Active Top Secret Clearance required for consideration to this role*

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Ground Segment Systems Engineer to support to the US Space Force (USSF) in developing, deploying, and sustaining a National Security Space system within the Space Systems Command Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power (SSC/SZ) system program office. This position is ONSITE - located in El Segundo, CA where the system is developed and managed. 

Responsibilities:

• Support and oversee various systems architecting and engineering activities such as system requirements definition, design, interface management, data architecture development, verification and validation, integration, performance analysis, lifecycle cost analysis & estimation, decision analysis, and physical configuration assessments.
• Develop, assess, and manage ground segment technical and interface requirements. Manage interface negotiation with external stakeholders. Oversee requirements and interface verification.
• Oversee, assess, and manage software product backlog to meet baseline and emerging requirements. Develop and provide recommendations to prioritize development, augment solutions, and improve developer implementations.
• Ensure the logical and systematic conversion of product requirements into total systems solutions that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
• Support development of system engineering items such as CONOPs, requirements definitions (or features, themes, epics), system testing, algorithm document review, and interfaces to other application development efforts.
• Support the development and refinement of acquisition strategies, identify program execution issues and provide recommendations. 

Qualifications:

• 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).
• Active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain access to Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Programs and be willing to consent to a polygraph examination.

Experience needed with the following:

• Technical program management, systems engineering, and government acquisitions of Space Systems within the Space Control mission area.
• Modern software development processes, such as containerization, orchestration, DevSecOps, and Agile methodologies.
• Integration of key ground segment systems, such as a cloud-based Infrastructure, Platform as a Service (PaaS) baselines, and antennas.
• "Zero-Trust" cybersecurity policies and implementation on software and hardware systems.
• Experience with Software Systems Engineering, Design, and Architecture Development.
• Experience with Software Systems Engineering, Design, and Architecture Development, Agile Software Development Techniques and Implementation, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Pipelines.

Compensation Includes:

• $200,000 - $225,000 *Depending on Experience*
• Health, Dental, Vision, 401K, Paid Holidays, Sick Leave if Required by Law

This job opens for applications on 10/15/25. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date

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Keywords: Space Force, USSF, ground systems engineer, air force, united states air force, DoD, top secret, DevOps, satellite, satellite operations, space systems command, space domain awareness, combat power, california, el segundo, requirements, zero trust, zero-trust, software systems engineering, architecture, Department of defense, continuous integration, CI/CD pipelines, agile, TS/SCI