Satellite Payload Engineer

Job ID: 2611108

Location: Chantilly, VA, US

Date Posted: 2026-04-07

Category: Engineering and Sciences

Subcategory: Systems Engineer

Schedule: Full-Time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: Yes - 10% of the time

Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI_wPoly

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None

Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE

Description

SAIC is seeking a Satellite Payload Engineer in Chantilly, VA, to contribute to activities supporting next-generation satellite systems. In this role, you will primarily focus on requirements verification, performance assessment, and anomaly resolution for the program. An in-depth understanding of satellite payloads and associated mission data processing is essential, along with a comprehensive knowledge of the end-to-end image chain process. Additional responsibilities include conducting trade studies to define and refine requirements for future satellite capabilities.

Job Responsibilities:

• Evaluate satellite payload requirements compliance by working with the Prime contractor to analyze evidence and drive closure of open issues.
• Review test plans and results to evaluate payload performance at both unit and system levels.
• Assist with understanding and resolving anomalies, performing root cause analysis, and identifying corrective actions, including evaluating technical and schedule impacts.
• Identify and assess emerging technical and programmatic risks at the enterprise, system, and subsystem levels, and collaborate with Prime and Subcontractor teams to develop and evaluate mitigation strategies.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with Prime and Subcontractor counterparts, functional teams, and subject matter experts to ensure effective collaboration.
• Evaluate entrance and exit criteria for major program reviews, such as Pre-Ship Reviews.
• Support trade studies to define and further develop requirements for future satellite systems.
  
  

Qualifications

• TYPICAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, team building and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to be effective in a government/contractor team environment.
• Must possess an active TS/SCI with poly.
  
  

SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .