Engineer Senior Principal - Harnessing

Job Description
We are seeking a Senior Principal Harnessing Engineer to serve as the primary technical authority for our spacecraft and ground-based interconnect architecture. In this role, as a harnessing engineer, you will work with other engineering disciplines to define the vision, engineering standards, and hardware execution strategies for complex electrical distribution systems across multiple high-impact missions. You will operate as a responsible engineer assigned to one or more programs, lead design reviews, solve complex multi-disciplinary anomalies, and mentor junior engineers to ensure mission success in all environments.
The Engineering, Science and Analysis (ESA) Strategic Capabilities Unit comprises the technical talent and organizational leadership that enables the successful delivery of high-impact discriminating technologies for our customers' missions. Our collaborative, cross-functional teams are committed to innovation, integrity, continual learning and strong execution.
What You'll Do:

• Architectural Leadership & Governance:
  • System Architecture: Define the high-level cabling and interconnect architecture, balancing mass, power, signal integrity, and manufacturing constraints.
  • Standardization: Refine, develop and enforce enterprise-wide flight harness design standards, material selection policies, and validation/verification processes. Mastery of related requirement, acceptance, and workmanship standards, including but not limited to, NASA-STD-8739.4 and IPC/WHMA-A-620.
  • Interface Management: Help define mechanical and electrical interface control documents (ICDs) for associated hardware to optimize system diagrams and schematics. Develop and maintain harness block diagrams (HBDs).
  • Technical Oversight: Serve as the responsible authority for harness-related interfaces, ensuring design requirement compliance across electrical, mechanical, thermal, and other related domains.
• Design & Technical Execution:
  • End-to-End Design: Lead the entire lifecycle of mechanical and electrical design for harness and wiring assemblies, including proposal support, 3D mechanical routing models, and creation of cable assembly drawings and harness integration drawings.
  • Component Selection: Drive design trades to select space-qualified components (connectors, contacts, shield braids, heaters, RTDs) to optimize cost and reliability.
  • Analysis: Perform critical electrical analysis for adequate electrical component derating.
  • EMI/EMC and Environmental Effects Mitigation: Apply standard practices to meet system-level requirements for EMI/RFI, radiation, space charging, and cleanliness.
• Integration, Testing, & Lifecycle:
  • Hands-on Integration: Provide expert direction for the integration of spaceflight harnesses and support assembly and physical routing mockups.
  • Verification: Execute harness-related development, validation, verification, and/or qualification testing campaigns (thermal, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, and EMI/EMC) per SMC-S-16.
  • Anomaly Resolution: Lead root-cause investigations and Material Review Board (MRB) actions for critical flight hardware and test anomalies.
• Leadership & Collaboration:
  • Mentorship: Coach and grow the next generation of technical talent by mentoring junior and mid-level engineers.
  • Stakeholder Management: Conduct design reviews, including but not limited to, SRR, PDR, CDR, with key stakeholders to incorporate lessons learned and best practices.
  • Strategic Influence: Influence executive leadership on technical strategy, investment priorities, and organizational capability development.
• Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

On-Site Work Environment: This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site three or more days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.
Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.
• May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.
• May access other facilities in various weather conditions.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience.
• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master's Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Mastery of 3D CAD routing environments (e.g., SolidWorks, Siemens NX, Creo Cabling).
  • Fundamental understanding of harness related electronics. Familiar with analog electronic circuit design, electronic systems, as well as harness derating. Ability to create and interpret wire harness schematics.
  • Expert knowledge of industry workmanship standards, specifically NASA-STD-8739.4 and IPC/WHMA-A-620.
  • Expertise of harnessing grounding and shielding details.
• Practical Skills: Hands-on experience with harness assembly, testing and integration.
• Communication: Exceptional presentation and communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and external customers.
• Strategy: Spearhead continuous process improvements and anticipate/evaluate future harness technologies.
• Office Software Tools: Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

#LI-LB3
A security clearance or access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position. However, the applicant must be willing and eligible for submission, depending on program requirements, after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• 3D CAD tool: Expert SolidWorks user including SolidWorks Routing
• Advanced Tooling: Experience developing harness design automation tools or workflows (MicroSoft VBA, scripted routing validation, automated BOM generation).
• Systems Engineering: Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) including approaches for managing harness interfaces at scale.
• Specialized Knowledge: Experience with GD&T and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) applied to harness support hardware.
• Strategic Sourcing: Experience overseeing supply chain strategies and qualifying external harness fabrication facilities.
• Industry Leadership: Prior involvement in industry standards bodies or working groups related to spacecraft harnessing or EMI/C.
• Schematic Tools: Direct experience using wire harness schematic tools (Zuken E3, Mentor Capital, etc.).
• 2D software: Experience with other 2D drawing software (AutoCAD, Draftsight, etc.)
• Leadership: Experience with leading teams of various sizes and experience
• Mentoring: Experience in mentoring and coaching early and mid-career engineers
• Security Clearance: A current, active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.
Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems
BAE Systems, Inc. is a defense, aerospace, and security company headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with more than 40,000 employees worldwide. We serve, supply, and protect those who protect us. As one of the most geographically diverse international defense companies, we deliver a full range of products and services spanning air, land, maritime, space, and cyber, including advanced electronics, intelligence solutions, and dedicated customer support.
Our culture is performance-driven and values-led, built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Purpose isn't a tagline here. It's what drives us. We're developing breakthrough technologies that defend national security and make a lasting impact on our communities and our planet. When you join BAE Systems, you're not just building a career. You're contributing to a mission that truly matters.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.