Staff Avionics Engineer (C&DH)

BlackSky; Tukwila (WA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical-dental-vision

401(k) with match

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

BlackSky in Tukwila, WA, offers a hybrid on-site schedule with partial remote work for an Avionics Systems Engineer. You will be involved in the end-to-end lifecycle of spacecraft, collaborating with mechanical, electrical, software, and test teams.

Role focuses on defining CONOPS, developing budgets, verification plans, and IPT collaboration to deliver mission-ready spacecraft and reliable analytics capabilities. Strong aerospace experience required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Computer Science, Aerospace, Systems, or Electrical preferred)
• Minimum 10 years in Aerospace/Defense with at least 2 years hardware/software development
• Strong foundation for compute hardware and subsystem development lifecycle
• Understanding of spacecraft, subsystems and dependencies
• Satellte budgets experience for compute systems
• Proficient in requirements management practices
• Experience coordinating with supply chain as technical point of contact for hardware suppliers
• Ownership mindset and bias toward eliminating waste

Responsibilities

• Organize, lead, and support development of Systems Engineering deliverables
• Define and decompose mission CONOPS into Avionics subsystem and component requirements
• Build tools to generate space-vehicle budgets and analysis products
• Develop system, subsystem, and component verification and test plans
• Communicate technical information to peers, program management, and customers
• Work with software developers to facilitate system understanding
• Participate in Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) as a subject matter expert in compute systems
• Provide technical oversight of component suppliers and support supply chain activities
• Build and refine automated tools for analyzing test and verification data

Skills

Compute systems

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Supply chain liaison

Education

B.S. in Engineering

Tools

Jama/DOORS

Jira/Confluence/GitHub

Job description

BlackSky is a real-time intelligence company. We own and operate the world's most advanced space-based intelligence platform and provide customers satellite imagery, automated analytics and high-frequency monitoring of strategic locations, economic assets, and events from around the globe. BlackSky is trusted by the most demanding allied military and intelligence organizations and commercial companies to deliver foresight into critical matters that affect national security and the economy. BlackSky's data enables governments and businesses to see, understand and anticipate change as it happens, giving them the ultimate strategic advantage so they can act quickly. Our global team works with cutting-edge technology to make a difference around the world and prides itself on being people-first, customer-focused and fun.

Avionics Engineersat 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 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.

You will work in our Tukwila, WA office with a hybrid on-site schedule with significant flexibility for part-time remote work.

Responsibilities:

• Organize, lead, and support development of Systems Engineering deliverables
• Define and decompose mission CONOPS into Avionics 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
• Work with software developers to facilitate understanding of the system and component cabilities
• Participate in Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) as a subject matter expert in the compute systems
• Provide technical oversight of component/unit suppliers and support supply chain activities
• Build and refine automated tools for analyzing test, analysis, and other verification data at the component, subsystem, vehicle, and constellation levels.
• Other job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Computer Science, Aerospace, Systems, or Electrical preferred)
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the Aerospace or Defense Industry, with at least 2 years of experience developing hardware and software systems
• Strong foundation for developing compute hardware and subsystem development lifecycle
• Strong understanding of spacecraft, subsystem behaviors, and associated dependencies
• Demonstrated ability to produce satellite budgets related to the compute system such as compute overhead, data throughput, data storage, etc
• Proficient with requirements management practices
• Experience coordinating with supply chain as a technical point of contact for hardware suppliers
• Strong sense of ownership, innate sense of urgency, and bias toward eliminating waste and inefficiency

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated technical depth in high speed digital communications and compute systems
• Proficiency in developing and troubleshooting high speed hardware interfaces such 10G and 25G ethernet, PCIe, and various SerDes interfaces.
• 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 working within a Scaled Agile or comparable Agile framework

Life at BlackSky for full-time benefits eligible employees includes

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, group term life and AD&D, voluntary life and AD&D insurance
• BlackSky pays 100% of employee-only premiums for medical, dental and vision and contributes $100/month for out-of-pocket expenses!
• 15 days of PTO, 11 Company holidays, four Floating Holidays (pro-rated based on hire date), one day of paid volunteerism leave per year, parental leave and more
• 401(k) pre-tax and Roth deferral options with employer match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Employee Assistance and Travel Assistance Programs
• Employer matching donations
• Awesome swag

The anticipated salary range for candidates in the Great Seattle Area, WA is 165,000 -180,000 per year. The final compensation package offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on specific background and education. BlackSky is a multi-state employer, and this pay scale may not reflect salary ranges in other states or locations outside of the Great Seattle Area.

BlackSky is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer All Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.