Senior System Engineer

Location: Ottawa, Canada

Department: Hardware

The Opportunity

As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will lead the system-level definition and delivery of airborne SATCOM terminals while remaining a hands-on technical contributor. You will own critical system artifacts, drive key technical decisions, and actively contribute to requirements development, analysis, integration, and verification activities. The successful candidate thrives in a fast-paced, evolving development environment where accountability, initiative, and execution truly matter.

This role is ideal for an engineer who leads by example through strong technical ownership, is equally comfortable shaping strategy and executing detailed technical work and is willing to dive deep to resolve complex challenges. 

This position is based on-site in our Ottawa, ON office.

As a Senior System Engineer, responsibilities include:

System Leadership & Hands-On Architecture and System Design

• Lead the development of system architectures for airborne SATCOM terminals while directly contributing to technical content
• Perform and document system trade studies, analyses, and design decisions
• Define and author system operational concepts, modes, redundancy strategies, and failure behavior
• Lead and actively participate in technical design reviews

Requirements Ownership & Direct Contribution

• Lead and personally develop system-level requirements and their decomposition to subsystems
• Author system requirements specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and compliance matrices
• Maintain end-to-end requirements traceability and verification mapping
• Perform hands-on impact analysis and support configuration control activities

Integration, Verification & Execution

• Lead system integration, verification, and validation activities with direct involvement in planning and execution
• Develop system-level test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria
• Participate in lab integration, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis of system issues
• Support environmental qualification and flight test activities, including hands-on test execution when required

Certification, Safety & Technical Ownership

• Lead systems engineering activities in support of certification (ARP4754A, DO-178C, DO-254, DO-160)
• Personally contribute to safety assessments including FHA, PSSA, and SSA
• Act as a hands-on technical lead in interactions with certification authorities, DERs, and customers

Cross-Functional Leadership & Delivery

• Serve as the systems engineering lead across hardware, software, RF, antenna, mechanical, and production teams
• Drive technical alignment while actively contributing to cross-functional problem solving
• Support proposals, customer technical reviews, and product roadmap discussions with hands-on technical input
• Provide systems engineering support during production, aircraft integration, and in-service operations

What You Bring

Candidate Must Have’s

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 9+ years of systems engineering experience in avionics, aerospace, or satellite communications
• Proven experience leading and executing system architecture, requirements, and integration activities
• Strong understanding of avionics certification and safety-critical development
• Proficiency in scripting or basic programming (e.g. Python, Bash, MATLAB, or similar)
• Experience using scripting to automate tests, analyze system data, or support verification activities
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g. Git) for managing scripts and technical artifacts
• Ability to interface with lab equipment, simulators, or embedded systems via scripts or tools

This will make you stand out

• Experience with airborne SATCOM systems (Ku-, Ka-, or L-band)
• Knowledge of RF systems, antennas, modems, and satellite network architectures
• Experience with requirements management tools (DOORS, Jama, JIRA)
• Experience with MBSE / SysML
• Flight test or aircraft integration experience

Why join SKYTRAC

At SKYTRAC, we are a dynamic team of passionate experts.  We are driven and dedicated; we take ownership of our work, and we are committed to delivering results.  We value individuals who are proactive, take initiative, and demonstrate a high level of professionalism and integrity in everything they do.  We thrive in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment, embracing challenges with agility. Our commitment to growth and development has made us the trusted subject matter experts we are today.

We offer:

• A positive and collaborative work culture
• Engaging team-building activities
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package
• Performance-based bonuses
• Professional development opportunities
• Additional days off beyond vacation entitlement

This position is for an existing vacancy within our System Engineering team.

The salary range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000 CAD. The range posted is a guide and may not represent the compensation offered to the successful candidate. Compensation is based on the skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications brought to the role.

About the Company

SKYTRAC is a leader in transforming aviation communication through cutting-edge satellite and cellular technologies. Trusted by operators, OEMs, and organizations worldwide, SKYTRAC serves over 800 customers across all aerospace sectors. Our Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite solutions are redefining connectivity and reshaping the future of aviation.

Learn more about what we do