Systems Engineer, Software - Engineer V
General Atomics
Acton, MA · Posted October 2, 2026
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Where Acton, MA ranks
Where Acton, MA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #19Best cities for software and engineering jobs in New England41 openings · of 24
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing does not state pay. Across 207 open systems engineer listings that state pay, the middle half runs $104,000 to $160,500 and the median is $120,000.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for software developers: 29% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
About the job
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide. General Atomics is looking for a Systems Engineer - Software for Space EO/IR Payload efforts within our Optical Sensor System Group in Acton, MA. The Systems Engineer - Software is responsible for the technical strategy and technical execution of space payload programs. This includes all phases of development from pre-award concept development, initial architecture and development of interfaces and component requirements through design, testing and verification, production support, and on orbit operations. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Application of electro-optical and infrared remote sensing system knowledge to develop and refine space payload system architectures for weather, earth science, missile defense, ISR, or other space sensing missions Experience associated with the development, engineering, interfacing, integration, and testing of EO/IR Payload systems with complex hardware/software attributes Support payload concept development, system architecture development, system and subsystem requirements development, systems analysis and trade studies, and systems modeling and simulation Organize and review technical efforts, documentation, and deliverables on payload contracts in conjunction with program management staff. Provide guidance on program risks/opportunities Responsible for program technical issue resolution, ensures root cause is identified and corrective actions are executed Decompose system requirements to software requirements Support translation of architecture to ICD’s and support ICD updates/maintenance Support Cybersecurity requirements, plan, RTVM, etc. Work with AI&T team on software validation plan and software tests Acts as a key member of the GA IPT managing requirements and issue resolution for software subcontracts Provides software inputs and ICD controls for our Prime contracts Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR) We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply