Let’s not sugarcoat it, most systems engineering roles are slow burns. You’ll sit in meetings about requirements, spend days reviewing documentation, and maybe, if you're lucky, touch something that eventually goes to production.
This one’s different.

We’re looking for a Principal Systems Engineer to take the reins on projects that are literally breaking ground off-Earth. You’ll lead the systems design and integration for hardware that’s being deployed into some of the harshest, least forgiving environments known to humankind.

Your job is to make sure everything connects, communicates, and performs exactly as it’s meant to, because failure out here isn’t just expensive, it’s mission-ending.

You’ll be doing things like:

• Owning the systems architecture across complex robotics platforms
• Leading requirements gathering and keeping them watertight through to verification
• Managing the engineering lifecycle from design through assembly and test
• Working across partners, vendors, and internal teams to make sure what’s built is what was intended
• Writing the docs, doing the trade studies, tracing the requirements, and pushing for the best possible outcome, without the bloat
• Mentoring engineers and shaping how systems engineering is done in a team that values autonomy over hierarchy

You’ll need to bring:

• At least 8 years in product development and systems engineering
• Experience with real robotic or spacecraft systems, actual hardware, not just theory
• Strong chops in requirements management, systems integration, and leading cross-disciplinary teams
• Confidence reading complex mechanical, electrical, and software architecture docs
• The ability to speak human when talking to stakeholders and technical when you need to

You’ll also need to be eligible for NV1 clearance. If you’ve got no idea what that means, Google it. If that’s a hard no, this probably isn’t for you.

This role isn’t for the box-tickers. It’s for someone who wants their work to matter, who thrives in high-stakes engineering, and who’s keen to lead without needing a big team under them just to feel important.

Sound like your kind of challenge?
Reach out: nat@justdigitalpeople.com.au