Principal Engineer, Space Payloads (Electro-Optical Systems)

Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States; onsite at the Optical Systems site. The role requires work in classified environments for 25% or more of the time and up to 25% travel.

Company

hirify.global builds rockets, spacecraft, space payloads, and critical subsystems for commercial, civil, and national security missions.

What you will do

• Own the technical baseline across systems engineering, hardware, software, and test.
• Chair program gate reviews from SRR through TRR, evaluating design maturity, readiness, and risk.
• Direct architectures spanning space payloads, ground systems, and mission operations.
• Oversee engineering execution, including cost, schedule, technical performance, and subcontractor delivery.
• Manage program risks and opportunities while advancing MBSE, digital engineering, standards, and quality.
• Serve as the primary technical interface for government customers, subcontractors, and leadership; support proposals and mentor multidisciplinary engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline and 12+ years of professional experience.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility is required.
• 8+ years leading engineering teams or organizations across multiple domains.
• Experience delivering complex aerospace or defense systems to cost, schedule, and performance requirements.
• Previous experience as a chief engineer or technical authority on a program of record or major defense contract.
• For U.S. office positions, candidates must meet applicable ITAR authorization requirements and be eligible to work in the United States.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree or PhD in a technical discipline.
• Space mission and payload integration experience.
• Experience with EO/IR, radar, or hyperspectral sensors, including performance modeling and exploitation.
• Experience with command and control, mission planning, tactical ground systems, CONOPS, or enterprise-scale architectures.
• Knowledge of machine learning, automatic target recognition, MBSE, and large-scale defense or aerospace system integration.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on space, national security, and defense missions involving classified program information.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, suppliers, subcontractors, government customers, and technical leadership.
• Operate in a fast-paced environment focused on innovation, tight deadlines, and mission delivery.
• Physical work may include prolonged sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.