Senior Space Vehicle Systems Engineer

About the role

Systems Engineers at BlackSky are the glue that ensures that all the components, subsystems, parts, hardware, software come together to produce best-in-class spacecraft. BlackSky is seeking a proven spacecraft systems engineer to provide a key role in the definition, verification, assembly, and delivery of our industry-defining spacecraft. You will be involved throughout the engineering lifecycle, from creating and understanding mission needs through design, integration, test, and ultimately the operation of spacecraft in orbit. Success in the role requires daily collaboration with a diverse set of team members – mechanical, electrical, software, and test engineers, operators, and program managers. Reporting to the Director, Systems Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Organize, lead, and support development of internal and customer-facing Systems Engineering deliverables
• Build and refine automated tools for analyzing test, analysis, and other verification data at the component, subsystem, vehicle, and constellation levels.
• Define and decompose system CONOPS into vehicle, subsystem, and component requirements
• Build and maintain tools to rapidly generate space‑vehicle technical budgets and analysis products
• Develop system, subsystem, and component verification and test plans
• Communicate technical information (analysis results, findings, trades) to peers, the Program Chief Engineer, program management, and customers
• Seek, identify, and implement automation solutions to streamline workflows across Engineering, Production, and Operations
• Represent Systems Engineering within subsystem‑focused Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to ensure needs are met and sound SE practices are applied
• Provide technical oversight of component/unit suppliers and support supply chain activities
• Other job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Computer Science, Aerospace, Systems, or Electrical preferred)
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in the Aerospace or Defense Industry, with at least 2 years of experience conducting analysis of real-time hardware and software systems
• Proficient with Python for data analysis
• Strong foundation for developing component and subsystem software models
• Strong understanding of spacecraft, subsystem behaviors, and associated dependencies
• Demonstrated ability to produce satellite budgets and analyses (power, mass, reliability, etc.)
• Proficient with requirements management practices
• Experience developing systems engineering artifacts: Interface Control Documents, Internal block diagrams, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, state machines, etc.
• Strong sense of ownership, innate sense of urgency, and bias toward eliminating waste and inefficiency

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated technical depth in a spacecraft subsystem or payload
• Experience with requirements tracking tools (e.g. Jama, DOORS)
• Experience with Jira, Confluence, GitHub, or other similar tools
• Strong understanding of spacecraft avionics, the space environment, basic astrodynamics, and related spacecraft design considerations
• Experience with Ansys System Tool Kit (ST