Matter Intelligence · 19 hours ago
Senior Systems Engineer
El Segundo, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
12+ years expMatter Intelligence is building the future of vision AI with innovative technologies for remote-sensing systems. The Senior Systems Engineer will own the technical architecture and integration of a complete remote-sensing space system, ensuring mission elements come together to deliver transformative Earth-observation capabilities.
RoboticsRemote SensingSensor
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Serve as the top technical authority for an integrated remote-sensing space mission
Define and maintain mission architecture, technical baseline, and system-of-systems design from concept through operations
Lead mission-level trade studies, performance modeling, and system analyses (SNR/radiometric budgets, pointing/jitter, downlink/data budgets, etc.)
Establish mission-level CONOPS for deployment, commissioning, calibration, tasking, autonomous ops, and contingencies
Ensure the spacecraft, payload, launch vehicle, ground segment, and data systems meet mission requirements
Own requirements definition, flowdown, allocation, and verification across all mission elements
Develop and manage system budgets (power, mass, thermal, pointing, link, data volume, reliability, etc.)
Define and validate Interface Control Documents (ICDs) across payload, spacecraft, ground, and external partners
Coordinate closely with subsystem leads to ensure alignment and uncover cross-system issues early
Lead spacecraft and payload integration planning with a focus on clean, testable interfaces
Develop system-level V&V plans including simulation, hardware testing, environmental qualification, and operational validation
Oversee payload, spacecraft, and ground system integration and test operations
Drive anomaly resolution with rigor, ensuring root-cause closure and prevention of recurrence
Collaborate with mission operations engineers to define autonomy, tasking, data handling, and commissioning procedures
Ensure the mission design supports operational automation, low-latency data flows, and robust health & safety monitoring
Lead and support Mission Readiness Rehearsals
Identify mission-level risks early, propose mitigations, and guide engineering execution
Partner with program management to align technical progress with schedule, budget, and customer needs
Communicate technical decisions clearly to leadership, partners, and external stakeholders
Mentor junior engineers to grow high-functioning mission-systems capability
Applies first-principles thinking to preserve agility while ensuring engineering rigor
Operates with high integrity, intelligence, and energy
Intuitively understands how architecture choices propagate across subsystems
Brings clarity and decisiveness to complex engineering decisions
Acts as a systems-level thinker with deep technical credibility
Engages cross-functionally with optics, spacecraft engineering, ground systems, and AI teams
Ensures mission-level performance is validated through modeling, testing, and real-world operations
Anticipates integration, testing, and operations bottlenecks and resolves them early
Maintains disciplined documentation and configuration control
Embeds reliability, testability, and operational readiness into mission design
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related discipline
12+ years in spacecraft or remote-sensing systems engineering
Demonstrated leadership on multi-disciplinary spacecraft or payload development programs
Deep understanding of spacecraft subsystems (GN&C, power, thermal, avionics, comms, propulsion, data handling)
Proven experience with systems architecture, requirements flowdown, modeling, and interface management
Hands-on experience with integration & test, design verification, and environmental qualification
Experience with on-orbit operations, commissioning, or anomaly resolution
Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills
Preferred
Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
Experience building or operating EO/IR, hyperspectral, SAR, or other remote-sensing missions
Familiarity with simulation environments (Python/MATLAB) or mission modeling tools
Experience in rapid development or startup environments
Experience contributing to technical proposals (NASA, DoD, SBIR, commercial)
Benefits
Competitive total package based on experience.
Early-stage equity package so you share directly in Matter’s growth and success.
100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage.
Opportunities to expand into leadership, strategic accounts, or cross-functional roles as we scale.
Company
Matter Intelligence
Matter Intelligence is a remote sensing company that makes sensors that use hyperspectral imaging.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$12MKey Investors
International Research Centre on Artificial IntelligenceLowercarbon Capital
2024-11-13Non Equity Assistance
2024-10-30Seed· $12M
Leadership Team
Vishnu Sridhar
Co-founder and CEO
Company data provided by crunchbase