At NASA, “systems engineering” is defined as a methodical, multi-disciplinary approach for the design, realization, technical management, operations, and retirement of a system.
A “system” is the combination of elements that function together to produce the capability required to meet a need.
NASA has approximately 17,000 employees and various sites across the country.
Of its employees, nearly 8,000 are engineers.
These numbers have consistently gone down since the 1970s, making it increasingly difficult to land an engineering job with the organization.
No, systems engineering is not easy.
This can be done on the managerial side, but it can also be done on the technical side.
Either way, being a systems engineer requires a comprehensive understanding of the bigger picture but also all of the components that make up the bigger picture.