Staff Systems Engineer

Job Title: Staff Systems Engineer

Job Description

The Staff Systems Engineer is responsible for leading the definition, development, integration, and verification of complex engineering systems across the full product lifecycle. This role involves working closely with cross-functional teams to translate customer and stakeholder needs into solid system architectures and requirements, ensuring technical integrity, performance, and compliance from concept through deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level architecture, requirements definition, and design trade studies for complex products and platforms.
• Analyze customer and business requirements and translate them into clear, testable system requirements.
• Develop and maintain system specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and design documentation.
• Ensure traceability from requirements through design, implementation, verification, and validation.
• Plan and execute system integration, verification, and validation activities.
• Define test strategies, procedures, and acceptance criteria.
• Support system testing, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, mechanical, and manufacturing teams to ensure system performance.
• Serve as a technical authority and mentor for junior engineers.
• Lead technical reviews, including requirements reviews, design reviews, and readiness reviews.
• Make informed engineering decisions balancing performance, cost, risk, and schedule.
• Support proposal development, technical planning, and customer presentations.
• Work closely with engineering, manufacturing, program management, quality, and suppliers.
• Interface directly with customers to clarify requirements, resolve technical issues, and support delivery.
• Support production, field support, and sustaining engineering activities as needed.

Essential Skills

• Strong systems thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work across disciplines and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience managing complex technical trade-offs.
• High attention to detail and documentation rigor.
• Ability to work independently and lead technical teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Software, or related field) required.
• Typically 7–10+ years of relevant systems engineering experience.
• Experience with full product development lifecycle (concept to production to sustainment).
• Proven experience leading system architecture and integration activities.
• Requirements management and system modeling tools.
• System integration, verification, and validation methodologies.
• Experience with complex electromechanical and/or software-intensive systems.
• Familiarity with configuration management and change control processes.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in regulated industries (aerospace, defense, medical, industrial automation, or similar).
• Customer-facing technical roles.
• Experience supporting manufacturing and fielded systems.
• Strong background in medical devices with either Surgical Navigation or Imaging.
• 60601-1 EMC Testing must-have.

Work Environment

The work environment includes an office and lab setting. There may be occasional travel to customer or manufacturing sites. The role involves 60% documentation and 40% testing and hands-on activities.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Goleta, CA.

The pay range for this position is $72.00 - $88.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Goleta,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Apr 17, 2026.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC—with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000+ extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.

Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.