Software Engineer, Imaging Science

Hydrosat; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

Mental health support

401(k) match

Flexible PTO

Holidays 16 paid

Parental leave

Commuter stipend

Cell phone stipend

Company discount

Job summary

Hydrosat, a space and data analytics company, seeks a Product Operations Specialist to manage end-to-end satellite imaging tasking, fulfillment, and platform operations. You will coordinate customer orders, evaluate feasibility, and build scalable processes across Product, Mission Operations, Engineering, and Commercial teams.

The role emphasizes technical operations, process improvement, and customer-focused execution in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial, Computer Science, Aerospace or related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant operational experience in space mission operations, Earth observation, geospatial tech, or similar.
• Experience with APIs, RESTful services, platform or system integrations.
• Product-facing experience with external stakeholders, contractors, and technical teams is preferred.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Basic scripting and technical skills including Python, Jupyter notebooks, and cloud tools.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day satellite imaging tasking and fulfillment, translating orders into acquisition plans.
• Manage imagery order fulfillment, acquisition status, and priorities for stakeholders.
• Evaluate tasking feasibility and communicate constraints or alternatives.
• Develop and maintain operational metrics and reporting for tasking activity and health of operations.
• Create scripts, tools, and workflows to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Collaborate with Mission Operations to understand spacecraft activities and calibration needs.
• Support customer platform operations including user provisioning and access entitlements.
• Coordinate with external vendors to deliver data product operations.

Skills

Geospatial

Computer Science

Aerospace

Operational experience

APIs

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial, Computer Science, or Aerospace

Tools

Python

Jupyter

AWS

REST APIs

Job description

• Washington, District of Columbia, United States
• Space Segment Engineering
• $125,000 - $135,000 per year

Hydrosat is a space and data analytics company building a new Earth observation constellation and software platform to unlock the power of thermal infrared imagery. We deliver high-resolution thermal insights that help governments, defense agencies, and agribusinesses better manage water resources, agricultural production, national security threats, and critical infrastructure.

We grow through two distinct routes to market – government programmes, and commercial data and subscription products – and our Operations team keeps the business running behind both, giving executive leadership a clear, trusted view of how the company is performing.

We are seeking a Product Operations Specialist to support the satellite data product and imaging operations for Hydrosat's on-orbit constellation. Working closely with the Product and Mission Operations teams, this role will support the end-to-end operational processes required to fulfill customer imagery requests accurately and on time.

Key responsibilities include coordinating satellite imaging requests and priorities, managing tasking and acquisition activities, monitoring order fulfillment, and evaluating tasking feasibility for customer requests. The role will also support customer platform operations, including user provisioning and data access, and helping build develop the processes, tools, and metrics needed to scale Hydrosat's satellite data operations.This position sits at the intersection of product, mission operations, engineering, and commercial sales teams and is well suited for someone who enjoys combining technical operations with process improvement and customer-focused execution.

Job Responsibilities

Support day-to-day satellite imaging tasking and fulfillment, translating customer and internal orders into executable acquisition plans, setting priorities, and driving imagery through successful collection and delivery.

Manage and review imagery order fulfillment, acquisition status, and priorities for internal and external customers, providing clear visibility to Product, Operations, and Commercial stakeholders.

Evaluate tasking feasibility for customer and internal requests and communicate constraints, risks, or alternatives when requirements cannot be met.

Develop and maintain operational metrics, KPIs, and reporting that provide visibility into tasking activity, acquisition forecasts, order fulfillment, operational issues, and overall product operations health.

Create and improve scripts, tools, and workflows that increase the efficiency, scalability, and reliability of satellite tasking and product operations, including near-term imaging forecast planning.

Work with Mission Operations to understand spacecraft activities, calibration requirements, satellite states, and collaborate as needed to fulfill internal sensor testing tasking needs.

Support customer platform operations, including user provisioning, account access, entitlements, KYC screening, and other operational activities required to deliver satellite data products.

Work with external vendors and service providers to coordinate execution and deliverables supporting satellite data product operations.

Be part of weekly on-call support rotation approximately every 4-6 weeks. Support other product and satellite data operations activities as required.

Job requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial, Computer Science, Aerospace, or related technical field.

5+ years of relevant operational experience, ideally in space mission operations, Earth observation, geospatial technology, or another intensive technical environment.

Experience working with APIs, RESTful services, and platform or system integrations.

Experience in a product-facing role is preferred, including working with external stakeholders, contractors, and technical teams supporting mission partnerships.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.

Basic scripting and technical skills, including experience writing and maintaining Python scripts, working with Jupyter notebooks, and familiarity with cloud-based tools and services such as AWS.

Experience in a startup or high-growth technology environment is preferred.

Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.

About You

Takes a customer-focused approach to operations, with attention to creating a reliable and seamless experience from request through fulfillment.

Is proactive, accountable, and has a results-oriented mindset with a strong sense of outcome ownership.

A strong communicator who can effectively coordinate across Product, Engineering, Mission Operations, and Commercial teams while engaging confidently with C-suite leaders and external stakeholders.

Curious, creative, and willing to improve processes, solve new problems, and help build foundational capabilities for a rapidly scaling space company.

Employee stock options

Health insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental - Hydrosat covers 100% of employee premiums, 50% for dependents

Mental Health Support

401(k) with 100% match up to 4%, vested from day one

Flexible, unlimited PTO

16 paid company holidays

Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave - up to 12 weeks fully paid

Mental health support, including free therapy sessions

Commuter and cell phone stipends

Company Discount Program

Federal Contract Eligibility Requirement

Due to the nature of the work and applicable U.S. federal government contract requirements, this position is limited to individuals who are U.S. citizens. This requirement is mandated by the federal government and is not a discretionary employment policy. Proof of eligibility will be required as a condition of employment, consistent with applicable law.