Systems engineer

Systems engineering lifecycle processes

The role a system plays in the super system of which it is a part

The characteristics of good quality requirements and the need for traceability

The distinction between risk, issue, and opportunity and the different forms of treatment available

The benefits and risks associated with modelling and analysis

How creativity, ingenuity, experimentation and accidents or errors, often lead to technological and engineering successes and advances

Different types of systems architecture and techniques used to support the architectural design process (i.e. the specification of systems elements and their relationships)

Non-functional design attributes such as manufacturability, testability, reliability, maintainability, affordability, safety, security, human factors, environmental impacts, robustness and resilience, flexibility, interoperability, capability growth, disposal, cost, natural variations, etc.

Integration as a logical sequence to confirm the system design, architecture, and interfaces

Interface management and its potential impact on the integrity of the system solution

Systems verification against specified requirements and characteristics and the need to execute it in a logical sequence

The relationship between verification, validation, and acceptance

The purpose and importance of system validation in relevant commercial context

Scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics fundamentals and a broad technical domain knowledge for the relevant industry

How to take account of health and safety legislation and sustainable development requirements in the relevant industry

The relationship of service quality to user satisfaction and cost, risk, and availability of the operational system

The elements of a project management plan (including statement of work, work breakdown structure, resource allocation, scheduling, management plan, monitoring, risk management, change requests, record keeping, and acceptance)

The commercial and financial environment in which a project is being executed (e.g. procurement model, interest rates, exchange rates)

The role of systems engineering planning as part of an overall project/programme plan

The legal, commercial, and security constraints that affect the management of data and information (e.g. General Data Protection Regulation, handling of specific commercial contract restrictions)

Support and sustainability needs of a deployed system or product

Select appropriate lifecycle for a system or element of a system and establish its lifecycle stages and the relationships between them

Define context of a system from a range of viewpoints including system boundaries and external interfaces

Use appropriate methods to analyse stakeholder needs to produce good quality, consistent requirements with acceptance criteria and manage them throughout system development

Identify, analyse, recommend treatment, and monitor and communicate risks and opportunities throughout project

Generate a physical, mathematical, or logical representation of a system entity, phenomenon or process

Apply creativity, innovation and problem solving techniques to system development or operation

Define the systems architecture and derived requirements to produce an implementable solution that enables a balanced and optimum result that considers all stakeholder requirements across all stages of the lifecycle.

Identify, define, and control interactions across system or system element boundaries

Assemble a set of system elements and aggregate into the realised system, product, or service using appropriate techniques to test interfaces, manage data flows, implement control mechanisms, and verify that elements and aggregates perform as expected

Define verification plans (including tests) to obtain objective evidence that a system of system element fulfils its specified requirements and characteristics

Provide objective evidence that the operational system fulfils its business or mission objectives and stakeholder requirements and expectations.

Communicate effectively with all stakeholders of the project using the most appropriate medium and techniques including written and verbal presentation,

Integrate a system into its operational environment, including the provision of support activities (e.g. specification of site preparation, training, logistics, etc.)

Define and collect operation data for monitoring and control of a system

Initiate design change proposals in response to system failure or degradation

Create and maintain project management plan, including work breakdown structure, scheduling, and risk management

Balance project scope, time, cost, risk, and resources to optimise product or service quality and return on investment

Manage and control system elements and configuration over the project or programme lifecycle ensuring overall coherence of the design is maintained in a verifiable manner throughout the lifecycle

Plan, execute, and control the storage and provision of information to stakeholders.

Define, coordinate and maintain effective and workable plans across multiple disciplines

Identify concepts and ideas in sciences, technologies and engineering disciplines beyond their own discipline that could benefit the project solution

Partition between discipline technologies and work with specialists to derive discipline specific requirements

Adopt and encourage within the team an holistic thinking approach to system development

Perform negotiations with stakeholders recognizing different styles of negotiating parties and adapts own style accordingly

Adopt and encourage within the team a critical thinking approach using a logical critique of work including assumptions, approaches, arguments, conclusions, and decisions

Take personal responsibility for health and safety practices and sustainable development

Operate with integrity and in an ethical manner, and ensure that team members perform with integrity and in an ethical manner

Take a proactive and systematic approach to resolving operational issues

Maintain awareness of developments in sciences, technologies and related engineering disciplines.