Staff Electro-Optical Payload Engineer
About The Position
BlackSky is seeking a Staff EO Payload Engineer to collaborate with the Payload and Constellation Engineering teams. The role involves architecting, designing, and testing new Electro-Optical (EO) payload concepts to expand the company's imaging payload portfolio. Responsibilities include influencing new payload design and development, creating integration and test strategies, and supporting instruments through on-orbit commissioning and characterization. The engineer will work with Image Processing and Satellite Operations to design frameworks for characterizing, optimizing, and improving payload performance throughout their operational lifespans. A key focus will be on the testing and satellite integration of new payloads and their sensors across their entire lifecycle. This role also presents an opportunity to develop a new optical test facility. Due to the emphasis on testing and integration, the role requires proximity to the satellite production facility in Tukwila, WA, with the expectation of being local by the end of 2026 and comfortable working in a hybrid capacity, though remote work is possible initially.
Requirements
- At least 10 years of experience in technical engineering roles involving the specification, modeling, design, integration, and/or test of imaging or non-imaging optical systems and associated components/subsystems, particularly the testing of space-based optical systems.
- Bachelor's degree in optical engineering, physics, or other area of appropriate technical focus (or equivalent experience of four additional years).
- Hands-on laboratory experience and familiarity with typical optical test and meteorology instrumentation and practices, e.g., interferometers, theodolite/laser tracker, optical alignment.
- Proficiency in at least one computer language with an emphasis on numerical or technical computing.
- Strong technical grasp of the physics of optical image formation and associated detector phenomenology, especially in the visible and infrared spectra.
- Proficiency with radiometry, optical imaging and detection figures of merit, and optical system performance modeling/estimation/simulation.
- Adept with developing concise specifications for optical systems within a well-defined, systematic requirements framework.
- Familiarity with satellite/payload interface and CONOPs constraints and associated systems engineering.
- Due to program requirements, this position requires holding US citizenship.
Nice To Haves
- Post graduate degree in a relevant technical field.
- Direct experience in spaceborne optical remote sensing systems.
- Direct experience in focal plane array design and engineering.
- Direct experience in satellite radiometric, spatial, and spectral calibration.
- Proficiency with numerical and technical programming in Python.
- Familiarity and experience with a technical discipline complementary to optics, e.g., mechanical, thermal, electrical engineering.
Responsibilities
- Develop comprehensive integration, requirements verification, and test strategies for EO payloads.
- Develop and maintain optical and sensor test facilities.
- Test payloads and support the production team as they integrate your payloads onto satellites.
- Partner with engineering, program management, and production to ensure comprehensive and efficient end-to-end validation of payload test from plan through design and execution.
- Define requirements for and oversee the design and build of test Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and other test infrastructure for the payload.
- Support the development of new EO payload architectures and concepts.
- Simulate and analyses new sensors, designs, and/or phenomonologies to support R&D and technical strategy development.
- Develop optical system requirements associated with new designs.
- Provide technical assistance and oversight with design procurement and integration.
- Support the characterization and commissioning activities of orbital imaging systems.
- Evaluate on-orbit imaging systems performance, compare with your ground predictions, and evolve your test & performance prediction capabilities.
- Other job-related duties as assigned.
Benefits
- 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
- Professional development
- Mac or PC? Your choice!
- Awesome swag
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
