Okay, I've searched for Systems Engineer roles in Plano, TX, full-time, within the aerospace and defense industry, requiring a Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of experience. I have found 45 positions for you.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

The Systems Engineer II role at Sierra Nevada Corporation fundamentally centers on ownership and advancement of complex aerospace and defense system architectures throughout their full lifecycle—from conceptualization through design, simulation, testing, and certification. Beyond technical execution, the role requires navigating the intricacies of cross-functional collaboration within multidisciplinary teams, integrating various engineering domains to deliver safe, reliable, and cutting-edge solutions primarily for government and defense customers. Success here depends not just on applying core systems engineering principles like requirements decomposition, integration strategies, risk management, and V&V, but also on the ability to interpret and manage complex, evolving requirements within a security-conscious environment. The candidate will likely face challenges such as balancing technical trade-offs, ensuring compliance with rigorous defense standards, and adapting systems designs to meet emergent mission needs across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Proficiency with systems modeling tools, coupled with strong communication and problem-solving skills, will be key. The role demands judgment to prioritize technical risks and performance metrics, suggesting a moderate to high level of autonomy in decision-making. Achieving early success involves contributing to robust system models, integration plans, and ensuring alignment with both customer expectations and regulatory demands while maintaining clear, ongoing stakeholder engagement.

Company Analysis:

Sierra Nevada Corporation stands as a dynamic, innovation-driven player in the aerospace and defense industry, uniquely positioned as a privately-owned mid-tier contractor with substantial investments in emergent technologies. Their strong foothold in defense domains, combined with commercial agility, signals a culture valuing rapid, mission-focused innovation balanced with disciplined execution. For a Systems Engineer, this means working in an environment that rewards agility, technical excellence, and proactive problem-solving amidst high-stakes projects with national security implications. The company’s dedication to sustaining mission success ahead of schedule underscores expectations for engineers to be self-driven, forward-thinking, and collaborative across functions. The role likely offers good visibility within technical teams and potentially with leadership, given its product lifecycle ownership nature. SNC's values emphasize disruptive innovation, mission-focus, and commitment to the nation’s security, making it crucial for candidates to align with this mindset and thrive under security clearance protocols. The company culture appears to be fast-paced yet supportive, valuing both technical rigor and creative problem-solving to keep the U.S. military and allied interests at the technological forefront.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had to manage conflicting requirements from multiple stakeholders. How did you ensure all concerns were addressed while maintaining system integrity?
• Behavioral: Describe a situation where you identified a critical technical risk in a project. What steps did you take to mitigate that risk?
• Behavioral: Can you give an example of how you collaborated with cross-disciplinary teams to deliver a complex system? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
• Behavioral: Share an experience where you had to quickly adapt your technical approach due to unforeseen changes in project scope or customer needs.
• Technical: How would you approach developing a system architecture for a multi-domain defense platform, considering requirements, integration, and verification?
• Technical: Explain your experience with requirements management tools such as DOORS or modeling platforms like Rhapsody. How have these tools benefited your engineering process?
• Technical: Discuss your understanding of Verification and Validation (V&V) practices within the defense aerospace environment. Why are they critical and how have you applied them?
• Technical: What strategies do you use to identify and track Technical Performance Measurements (TPMs) during system development?
• Situational: Imagine mid-way through the design phase, a key requirement is revised due to updated threat intelligence. How would you handle this change to ensure minimal disruption?
• Situational: You notice misalignment between the simulation results and expected system performance during testing. What steps would you take to diagnose and resolve this discrepancy?
• Situational: If a cross-functional team member challenges your systems integration approach under tight deadlines, how do you address their concerns while keeping the project on track?
• Company Fit: Why are you interested in working at Sierra Nevada Corporation and what excites you about contributing to aerospace and defense technologies here?
• Company Fit: How do you see your personal work style and values aligning with SNC’s mission of rapid innovation and commitment to national security?
• Company Fit: Considering SNC’s emphasis on agility and mission execution, how do you prioritize your tasks when juggling multiple high-impact projects?
• Questions for Interviewer: How does SNC support ongoing professional development and certification for systems engineers in roles like this?
• Questions for Interviewer: Can you describe the typical collaboration between Systems Engineers and other functional teams (e.g., software, hardware, test) at SNC?
• Questions for Interviewer: What are the current strategic priorities for the Mission Solutions and Technologies business area, and how would this role contribute to those goals?