The Ambiguous role of the Systems Engineer

A systems engineer works at the core of a project. Amongst many things – they oversee team members, establish common ground between diverse people, connect divergent disciplines, communicate with stakeholders and manage demanding situations – all whilst applying their knowledge to complex problems and finding solutions.
Yet one may find that the role and responsibilities of the systems engineer tend to vary in different organisations and projects. The lines are somewhat blurry when it comes to defining the role of the systems engineer.

To begin with, there are two different types of “system engineers”. The first is referred to as a “systems engineer” but is in fact a SYS admin (system administrator) responsible for IT. The other can be defined as: “Systems engineers concentrate their efforts on the aspects of the engineering process (requirements definition, top-level functional designs, project management, life cycle cost analysis,…) that serve to organize and coordinate other engineering activities. The systems engineer is the primary interface between management, customers, suppliers, and specialty engineers in the systems development process.” (retrieved from SEBoK v. 2.6, released 20 May 2022).

Here, I address the latter:
The SeBoK definition describes the systems engineer as the “interceder” of the system, responsible for conducting the orchestra of the project; dealing with various disciplines of engineering (mechanical, electrical, electronics, communication, and SW engineering) and science (physics and materials science, and engineering) as well as communicating with stakeholders (project management, marketing, technical writing) and ILS (Integrated Logistical Support) engineers. All these elements are crucial contributors to a successful system.

Since the systems engineer role is broad, other functional roles working on the system (often poorly defined) can be referred to as “systems engineers”. Starting with the various product managers dealing with the definitions of functions in the systems (an ability of the system such as the RF channel in communication or Radar systems), continuing to the analyst responsible for the algorithms or simulations of some functionality or aspects of the system and ending with the integration engineer – these people can all be referred to, in some organizations, as “systems engineers”.

An additional source of confusion is in the requirement – a systems engineer should be a mature engineer that has experienced the system for several years, paying homage to engineering by developing their knowledge and skills on several projects. Yet not all systems engineers meet this requirement of seniority; many are recent graduates (that are good enough, but not good enough to be called a “systems engineer” in a mistakenly named role). It is becoming an overused and dangerous simplification to call so many people “systems engineers” – especially if we then assume they can fulfil the job expectations and specific requirements of a true systems engineer.

One may meet systems engineers coming from various sides of the system (engineering fields or physics). Many demonstrate good performance whilst others may lack guidance. Many have attended a systems engineering course, many have completed a degree, others neither. Therefore, there is diversity in systems engineering – one may step into a room filled with “systems engineers” and each one will have a different professional diploma, experience, etc.
I believe one of the first key priorities when establishing a project is to focus on the role and responsibilities of the system engineer. This definition of responsibility is integral to project success – as is the knowledge you have a systems engineer who can do the job. So, if we are to agree to the SeBoK definition of a “systems engineer” then it’s surely worth pondering this challenge: that the one “person” in the room responsible for the coordination of all other members of the project is also the one who has the most ambiguous role.

– Israel Bar (Guest post)