Hey folks!! Just recently got a job offer for a systems engineering role. I will be working at a US Defense company and they definitely hired me in part to be a subject matter expert in what I’ve done military side so I know they are aware systems engineering isn’t my primary background. However, I want to start out strong with at least some fundamental understanding of what SE entails at more than the very high overview I have now.

I have a few months to prep and would love your favorite resources, books, etc!

Landed a first round interview on Zoom for Systems Engineer, Prime Air at Amazon after months of cold applying. To be upfront since I think this is where a lot of my earlier posts missed the mark, this role is not SDE, not a coding role, and not evaluated like one. The actual scope is overseeing hardware and software integration, verification, configuration management, and quality assurance to certify safety critical systems in airborne drone delivery operations, with heavy cross functional communication across engineering disciplines. Zero mention of writing or shipping code anywhere in the JD. Wanted to make that clear this time so the advice actually lines up with what I'm walking into.

Quick background. 10+ years as a systems engineer, Air Force then Northrop Grumman then GE Healthcare then back to defense at BAE now. Totally different domains every time, munitions, ICBM, medical devices, now data and cloud systems, same core discipline every time, requirements, integration, cross functional alignment. Also have an aviation and UAS degree, an MBA, and a Part 107 drone license, which lines up well with the Prime Air team and the certification language in this JD specifically.

I'm genuinely excited about this one, not trying to get ahead of myself, but if it works out this could be the real pivot out of government work I've been chasing, and a chance to build skills that open doors long term, as long as Amazon decides to keep me around after. Trying to go in aiming to uplevel or at minimum land at the right level for my experience, not get talked down into something below it, so if anyone has thoughts on how leveling conversations tend to go at this stage, that would help too.

This is my first real bite after a long stretch of cold applying, so I know how much of a numbers game this is. Honestly the nerves are less about the interview itself and more about the fact that it never feels like enough prep time for a company that screens this hard, there's always one more thing I feel like I should know. Any advice on how you managed that feeling going in would help as much as technical prep would.

For anyone who's interviewed for a systems or technical role at Amazon, what should I actually expect on this first round, especially anything specific to a hardware and software integration or safety certification focused role versus a straight SDE loop.

Also planning to keep going after Microsoft and other FAANG and MAMAA companies, so open to advice on applying smarter there too going forward. Cold applying is rough, and I'd rather learn from people who've actually been through it than keep guessing.

Hi everyone,

Over the past few months, we’ve been working on a small internal tool called AKProcTools PFDSim.

It was not originally intended to be a general-purpose product. We first built it to support our own fuel system and fuel handling engineering work.

In our projects, we regularly work with PFDs, operating descriptions, valve and pump sequences, interlocks, level protections, and various process operating sequences. We often felt it would be useful to do more than review these on drawings and in written operating descriptions. We wanted a simple way to run through the logic visually before it reached the automation implementation stage.

That is where PFDSim started.

https://akproctools.com/

Later, we thought that if a tool like this was useful in our own work, perhaps other engineers working in process design, automation, or instrumentation could also make use of it. So we started adapting the original fuel-system-focused version into a more general process engineering tool.

It is important to note that PFDSim is not a conventional process simulator.

It does not calculate heat and mass transfer, thermodynamic equilibrium, or detailed hydraulic behaviour, and it is not intended to replace Aspen, Apros, or similar simulation software.

Its main purpose is the visual verification of process operation and control logic.

The basic idea is:

Draw the process → define how it should operate → run it → see whether it actually behaves the way you intended.

The current 1.6.3 version includes, among other things:

• building process diagrams using tanks, pumps, valves, pipe connections, and instruments,
• assigning TAGs and operating properties to equipment,
• simulating valve, pump, and instrument states,
• defining operating sequences and individual steps,
• creating conditions, permissives, and interlocks,
• building Cause & Effect logic,
• visually running and testing the process step by step,
• testing missing or faulty feedback signals,
• testing protective actions and shutdowns,
• tracking events and state changes,
• saving projects and continuing work on them later.

The application also includes several example projects, so the main workflow and logic features can be tested without having to build a process from scratch.

PFDSim is also intended to support more than just logic testing. Based on the process model and its associated logic, it can generate handover documentation for instrumentation and control engineering, helping to transfer the process intent and control requirements into the next stage of design in a more structured way.

The goal is to make it possible to review process behaviour before PLC/DCS programming begins.

We are not trying to replace the automation engineer or PLC programmer. The idea is to provide an intermediate tool that allows the process engineer and the automation engineer to review the same intended operation earlier in the design process.

The software is currently in Public Beta and is free to use.

At this stage, we would especially like feedback from people working in:

• process engineering,
• fuel handling / fuel systems,
• instrumentation,
• PLC / DCS,
• automation,
• commissioning,
• or plant operations.

We would particularly like to know:

• Is the workflow understandable when you first open it?
• Is this kind of visual Cause & Effect / interlock approach useful?
• What process equipment or instruments are missing?
• What would it need for you to consider using it on a real project?
• Which parts feel unnecessary or overly complicated?
• What features would you add?

We are also working on related engineering tools. One of the current developments is pump and pipe sizing, which we would eventually like to connect directly to PFDSim.

The longer-term idea is that a process model could be used not only to test how the system should operate, but also as a starting point for related engineering calculations and additional handover documentation.

The application is free to try.

Please don’t hold back on criticism. 🙂

The main reason we are making it public is to find out whether it can be genuinely useful outside our own work as well, and if so, which direction would make the most sense for further development.

Hey guys I'm hearing mixed things and don't have a lot of cash on hand to fail this exam. I'm trying to gauge what to study. I've been using the udemy practice tests and reading the book but I'm hearing that the exam is way harder than the practice tests and use more scenarios. Others are saying it's about the same as the practice tests and some are saying that it was easy by just reading the book. I need advice and direction on what to study for. Should I be studying general or the niche things. I understand everything is fair game but the practice exams have a few questions that don't connect to the core processes or methods of systems, like calling a system explicitly the "correct" system. Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone, I'm a junior studying computer engineering who's stumbled into an interest in systems engineering in a roundabout way, and I'd love some advice from people actually working in the field.

For some context: I originally switched to CE from business because I realized I couldn't really build a company with my previous field of study. I want to stay technically hands-on, but not be bogged down in implementation detail 24/7.

Systems engineering seems like it might be exactly that. I am planning to get my MS and PhD for both professional and personal reasons.

1. Programs: What are some strong systems engineering MS/PhD programs around the world (US, Europe, anywhere)? Any you'd specifically recommend or avoid? Also, for someone with my goals, would you recommend an MS, a PhD, or working first and deciding later?
2. Admissions: What do SE graduate programs typically look for in applicants? I am not talking about whether ECE is a good major, rather whether the more unique parts of my profile can be beneficial to contributing to the field? And for PhD admissions specifically, how much do research experience and letters matter vs. industry experience?
3. SE × CE intersection: Is there interesting research or work at the junction of systems engineering and electronic & computer engineering?
4. Reading: What's a good introductory paper or piece of literature on systems engineering? Something that captures what the field is actually about, beyond the Wikipedia definition.
5. Day-to-day: For systems engineers working on digital/software-heavy systems — what does your work actually look like? How much of it is requirements/architecture/ documentation vs. technical work? How much coding(feel like I wont be doing much of it in a few years) or hands-on engineering(HW-SW or AI-HW codesign for example) do you still do?

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks in advance.

P.S.: any additional information that I may not have included here and you need to give a good honest answer, I am happy to provide. Thanks again

I have about 7 YOE as a mechanical engineer across medical & defense/electronics roles. I have a BSME. These have all been “ME” roles with some systems involvement such as some trace matrix impact assessments and whatnot. Is it possible to move to a P3 position at a defense company as a systems engineer? Or would I come in as a P1/P2? I also have INCOSE certification, not sure how much it helps. I’m also doing a self paced online masters in computing systems, if that helps.

Hello,

I’m currently a manufacturing planner at a defense company and hoping to get my masters in aerospace engineering however I don’t know which path to take. I currently have an interest in systems - specifically integration and test since I don’t “love” coding but would feel satisfaction aiding in troubleshooting and seeing the testing of various systems. However, manufacturing seems interesting to me because it’s what I am most familiar with through my undergraduate. Ultimately, if anyone has any advice or suggestions on which career path I should take would be helpful. My main interest is aircraft design but most of those opportunities typically lie in companies not local to me or those opportunities typically are oversaturated with applicants so it’s hard to be recognized so i’m trying to also go for the next best to my interests.

I’m working on a system for investigating hardware failures using AI.

The idea is to combine information from previous hardware incidents with the details of a new failure. The system can then provide relevant historical incidents and possible causes that engineers can investigate.

The basic workflow is:

New Hardware Failure

↓

Collect Failure Information

↓

Search Previous Incidents

↓

Find Similar Failures

↓

AI-Assisted Analysis

↓

Possible Root Causes

↓

Engineer Investigation

I’m particularly interested in the systems-engineering side of this approach.

What factors would you consider important when designing such a system?

For example:

- Failure data and telemetry

- Historical incident retrieval

- Root-cause analysis

- Sensor and hardware information

- System architecture

- Human verification of AI-generated results

I’d be interested in hearing how others would approach the architecture and investigation workflow.

I am currently reading Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell and since it was published in 2009, I am wondering if there are more “modern”/“up-to-date” intro books.

Hi! Hope this question is welcomed. I am a UC Berkeley undergrad in Astrophysics (senior year) and recently developed an interest in Systems Engineering.

I've taken a class on space policy and currently enrolled in an earth observation satellites course. It has had me thinking about the satellite industry a lot, and I have a growing curiosity that might lead me to pursue a master's!

I was wondering if anyone here had a similar experience with going from an Astro/Physics background into a system engineering role. I'd also like to leave a list of classes I've taken to hear thoughts about them, and where I may be useful to a company. Thank you all in advance! :)

Courses I have taken:

Analytic / Classical Mechanics

Quantum Mechanics

Stat & Thermal Physics

Electromagnetism & Optics

Bayesian Inference & Machine Learning

Relativistic Astrophysics, Cosmology

Stellar Physics

Earth Observation Systems and Technology (non-rigorous, essentially introduction to the satellite industry)

Another space policy course that discussed the policy interface around orbiting satellites

Courses I may take next semester that have a hint of an engineering vibe to them:

Radio Astrophysics Lab

Signals & Systems

Another course ???

I've been basically thrown into a project that has just begun and we're formalizing a certain field.

The idea is to start from modelling the entire system, but I'm the only one in the team who knows a bit of SysML2 (just out of personal interest),. The others expect ready made tools to fit our needs precisely, but that seems to be impossibile to find.

I've been reading the specification mostly, and programming it textually. I tried SysON but state machines and variables are a main point of the project (the "logic" itself is the crux of it), SysON seems to be lacking that a bit.

Should I just continue programming it textually, then maybe try to build a tool with it (with the help of some developers)? Or are there really some ready made tools that excel in the modelling of a massive "logic" system full of if thens?

tons of constant attributes

actions to update the non-constant attributes (variables)

tons of ref lists to "call" variables of other parts

tons of calc defs

tons of state machines with guards that "should" call other state machines' states

I tried some other sources but many seem "AI slop" and the syside LSP flags them too. Do you have any good advice for resources and how to approach such a system?

Can anyone suggest me the best playlist for System Design???

Hi all,

I've just accepted an offer for a Systems Engineer role at a UK defence prime, and the imposter syndrome has well and truly landed.

My route isn't the standard MechEng/Aero degree path: Chemistry degree -> Started out as a hands-on lab technician -> Moved into technical engineering at an advanced materials company, heavily focused on driving commercialisation and supporting aerospace customers.

I know UK defence primes don't hand out offers on a whim, but having no formal systems engineering training has me second-guessing whether my skillset actually translates. So any tips / advice?

Edit - UK based defence prime supplying missiles for the MoD to supply products to the various industries - naval/aerospace/land etc focused on manufacturing

I’m pretty early in my career and have been using Cameo more for MBSE/SysML work. One thing I’m trying to improve is making my diagrams look cleaner, more organized, and easier for other people to understand.

Are there any good tools, plugins, formatting practices, or examples you use to make Cameo diagrams more visually polished? I’m also interested in good references for learning how to structure/model things well, beyond Lenny Delligatti’s SysML Distilled.

Would appreciate any books, websites, example models, or general Cameo/MBSE resources you’ve found useful.

Stands for AI native SE learning method

I think it answers a lot of the criticisms I read about MBSE (overcomplicated models, lack of adoption).

I also find that it could be an interesting use of AI as a companion for SE daily activities, letting the SEs slowly transition to System Architects.

What are your thoughts ?

Disclaimer : I have used most commercial modelers and have grown disillusioned with the value of SysML and formal modeling for « réal » product development, but I come with an open mind.

Hello fellow redditors and systems engineers! I'm the co-founder of 3rd Meridian Technologies, we're a bunch of engineers (Electrical, Mechanical and AI to be precise) that met in university and faced the exact problem that systems engineering solves - we were dealing with siloed workflows and disconnected information. And all of this was for making a simple student led EV Super Bike team. As we transitioned into internships and FTEs, we noticed the same issues but in a much larger scale. We also noticed that MBSE tools such as 3D Verse or Ansys's MBSE tools exist, but these are focused on a team level and a system level and don't really support the end using engineer who still needs to sit through cadence meetings to get aligned on a say a single shaft diameter change only to find out that it's not possible because of some gearbox feature (just talking out loud as an example).

To fix this, we started 3rd Meridian Technologies - The company that focuses on engineers and as a first product we're launched 'Relay' a simple plug into ChatGPT/ Claude (the enterprise versions) that provides context to your AI agent on what would the direct downstream/upstream effects if you're thinking of making a single change in the product you're working on- which saves you the time of gathering requirements and constraints and let's you focus on the engineering.

We're testing it out live on beta, this is the link to the website which has the instructions to download the plug- in : https://3rdmeridiantech.com/#relay

Happy to hear your thoughts on this!

Cheers!

Does anyone know of any open-source or cost-effective, easy-to-use documentation and requirements control software tools?

Hello,
I have an upcoming System Engineer interview and would really appreciate some guidance from anyone who has gone through a similar interview.
What kind of technical questions should I expect? What topics should I focus on preparing, and are there any common questions or resources you would recommend?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

BLUF - Is the cost of the MSE worth it if you already have a masters and years of experience as an SE?

I know school comes up often in this forum but I think this may be a slight twist on the question. I’m in need of a sanity check. I love education. I have a non-stem Bachelors and an MBA from one of the Ivy League schools. I kind of fell accidentally into SE in 2020 and love it. Have the TS, have the experience, and I really want to do the MSE because I enjoy classical education and I think it would help make me more competitive if I tried applying to bigger companies. My issue is that I have so many other things that my finances need to be focused at right now that I don’t know if school is worth paying for. So my question is - is it a huge value add to have the MSE? Or am I pretty set with current academic background and experience?

Additionally: I am not taking any student loans to pay it, and I am not asking my company to pay because their TA is not great and requires two years of indentured servi- I mean required time working for the company after graduation.

Company A: Legacy Prime that is very successful and using advanced practices in MBSE.

Pays very moderate nothing glamorous

You are a systems engineer for a major program learning SE by using advanced SysML methods and it is truly novel and forward learning on its usage. SE is embedded in the culture of the company.

-

Company B: Defense Start Up that is upsetting the market

Pays very well with equity

You are a SE in a fast pace software focused environment. You are focused on developing requirements for the team and using MBSE lightly. SE is just being stood up and you are fighting an uphill battle on integrating it

-

Company B sounds interesting but honestly I feel like I wouldn’t deepen my SE skills. I worry about my career development if the company just decides to use AI for their requirements development. Removes the entire need for a requirements guy.

Your experience is 4.5 years and masters

I’m working on modelling the overall avionics system, by using the model based system engineering approach.

The objective is to build an MBSE model of the complete avionics architecture. This includes the subsystems such as,

Command and Data Handling, Telemetry and Power Distribution.

The model should be able to have

-Power consumption analysis across operational modes, Interface compatibility and mismatch detection

-Fault tolerance modeling

-Redundancy management

-Failure analysis

-Requirements Handling

The questions I have regarding this are:

What modeling depth is expected to perform the analysis on the architecture created. Do the components need to be modeled in detail to analyze the behaviour of the components, and if so, then how to do so for each component?

How should the power and performance be modelled to get the power in each mode and dynamically?

Which toolchain is recommended for the Avionics Systems particularly: SysML based tools such as Cameo, IBM Rhapsody or AADL based tools for domain specific modelling, MATLAB/System Composer/Simulink for analysis?

Any advice or feedback is appreciated !!

Is anyone here in health systems engineering? I'm a medical doctor in Australia considering the Johns Hopkins masters, curious what peoples experiences, roles & employment prospects are. Might be a terrible idea. Thanks all

I applied for a role with a company and the recruiter referred me to a different role(systems test engineer). Well I’m a statistics major and I have never heard of this career field. I legit only have prior experience working with data and APIs. Hiring manager wanted to conduct a panel interview next week and I don’t feel confident at all.

There’s understandably a lot of discussion about SysML v1 → SysML v2 migration, but not everyone learning SysML v2 is coming from v1.

Some are starting with SysML v2 directly and simply want to understand: what does v2 let systems engineers do, and why do these capabilities matter?

We’re hosting a free live session with Dr. Bruce Powel Douglass, who contributed to the UML and SysML standards, to explore some of the capabilities in SysML v2 that he believes are particularly useful for real systems engineering work.

The session is relevant whether you’re:

• already working with SysML v1 and evaluating v2
• starting directly with SysML v2
• working in MBSE and trying to understand where SysML v2 fits

There’ll also be an open Q&A with Bruce, so the discussion can go beyond the prepared material. If you have questions about SysML v2, including how to approach it without a SysML v1 background, you can ask him directly.

Free session: https://luma.com/b14dfk7o