SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENGINEER
Contract to Hire |Fractional | 3 Month Engagement
Location: Emerylville, CA
Hybrid – Onsite 2-3 days
ABOUT CUSTOMER
Customer is developing a user interface that integrates existing surveillance systems with a containerized response station that will deploy autonomous inspections by air, land, or sea. Customer provides a field-ready ruggedized infrastructure to monitor and respond to potential threats, be they weather, wildlife, or human. Company brings together aerial drones, ground and sea robotics, camera sensor systems, and SATCOM/network communications into one coordinated product.
THE ROLE
We are seeking a hands-on Systems Integration Engineer for a fractional position, with an initial 3 month scope. This person will work directly with our Head of Engineering and serve as the technical integrator for the Response Station. The primary objective is to establish a scalable system architecture and BOM with documentation to drive further development, especially the fabrication of the first field ready prototype.
OBJECTIVES
● Author and Finalize the system architecture documentation
● Refine and validate the BOM
● Define subsystem interfaces
● Define power and network architecture.
● Provide analysis of the power requirements and maximum power demand.
● Provide initial estimate of operating time during power interruption.
● Establish physical integration and fabrication requirements
● Identify major technical risks and integration gaps
● Develop the integration and test plan
● Prepare everything needed to move into detailed design
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
● Own system-level integration across mechanical infrastructure, electrical power distribution, communication systems, sensor systems, autonomous-vehicle platforms, and compute interfaces.
● Review and refine the Response Station BOM, identify missing integration components, interface risks, and resolve incompatible selections.
● Develop a scalable system architecture from Sentinel OS through client input nodes, external security service nodes, and SpaceTime Response Station node.
● Review electrical power and network requirements for mission readiness and calculate system limitations. This may include maximum uptime for sensor systems, autonomous vehicles, and during power interruptions.
● Participate in product design input and design review discussions with primary focus on integration efficiency and acknowledging potential equipment constraints.
● Maintain clear integration documentation.
● Work in parallel with mechanical/CAD and electrical engineering resources to ensure the physical design, wiring, thermal needs, service access, and equipment interfaces are coordinated.
● Translate system requirements into clear technical inputs for all teams, especially where communications, sensor, autonomous vehicle, power management, and computersystems interface.
- Provide guidance to fabrication vendors, including mounting, penetrations, clearances, structural loads, cable pathways, and environmental requirements as necessary
● Resolve integration issues quickly, coordinating cross-functional teams as necessary, and maintaining documented decisions and design changes.
● Support design reviews and prepare the system for unit testing, system testing (EVT), design review, design for manufacturing, and .
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
• 5+ years of systems integration or product engineering experience with complex electromechanical hardware; experience in robotics, autonomous systems.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, maritime, industrial automation, or ruggedized field systems is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to design system architecture and integrate hardware across multiple operating systems and communication protocols.
• Demonstrated ability to design and perform unit testing to ensure maximum up-time.
• Demonstrated ability to design and perform system testing to identify bugs within the system.
• Demonstrated ability to use systematic problem solving to resolve bugs.
• Strong working knowledge of power distribution, Ethernet/PoE networking, sensors/cameras, communications hardware, connectors/cabling, mechanical packaging, and environmental considerations.
• Comfort working with CAD teams, electrical engineers, fabricators, suppliers, and prototype technicians in a fast-moving development environment.
• Able to work independently, make practical engineering decisions, surface risks early, and drive a system from concept toward a buildable configuration.
EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE ENGAGEMENT
By the end of the contract, Customer should have a coordinated system integration plan and design, an updated BOM, defined subsystem interfaces, power management and network system architecture, fabrication requirements, identified technical risks, and a clear pathway into detailed design, CDR, fabrication, and prototype integration
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