In addition to these management responsibilities, you will contribute directly as a Design Engineer throughout the full program lifecycle of our satellite systems and components, from concept to production. You will develop initial concepts of satellite structures, system layouts, and support equipment based on requirements and objectives, then apply BlackSky best practices, mentorship from senior engineers, and your own skills and intuition to fully mature those concepts. You will create CAD models, select materials, generate and maintain manufacturing documentation, and support production. You will interact with flight, prototype, and ground support hardware. You will do all this as part of a highly skilled multi-functional technical team focused on producing state-of-the-art satellites.
Responsibilities
Management duties
Own the technical and schedule performance for a team of 4 - 8 Mechanical Design Engineers.
Establish, maintain, and enforce design processes and guidelines that balance the criticality of spacecraft engineering with practicality and focus on our internal objectives, risk postures, and goals.
Establish standards for the effective use of Creo CAD and Windchill PLM, ensuring consistent modeling, drawing, configuration management, and release practices.
Grow and maintain the technical acumen of the design team in the area of satellite mechanical design by developing professional development plans, challenging job assignments, training, and mentorship that balance individual career goals with program demands.
Manage team performance and alignment with regular reviews and goal setting.
Answer the call for Mechanical Design Engineering support across BlackSky with staff assignments to programs, team task planning, workload prioritization and deconfliction; as well as recruiting and onboarding new hires and management of contract support.
Ensure the Mechanical Design Engineering team follows company, department, and team processes.
Partner closely with BlackSky Space Vehicle Engineering, Production, and Supply Chain teams to ensure Design Engineering products are fully and successfully implemented as intended, collect feedback for continued improvement, and address emergent needs.
Duties as a technical lead and individual contributor
Lead moderate scale technical efforts involving internal and external collaboration and full program scope consideration, applying experience and engineering judgement to develop technical plans for your work and others that meet program requirements and schedule.
Work within a multidisciplinary team to deliver space vehicle designs, production plans, and test strategies that support program cost, schedule, and quality goals.
Design spacecraft mechanical structures, assemblies, and components with CAD software (Creo).
Generate and maintain engineering and manufacturing documentation such as part drawings, assembly drawings, and bills of materials.
Document design and analysis data in technical reports, presentations, and manufacturing systems.
Apply engineering judgment to make informed decisions when data is incomplete, balancing performance, manufacturability, reliability, and schedule.
Support manufacturing and production teams by providing design intent, resolving build issues, reviewing nonconformance reports, and implementing corrective actions.
Develop tooling, fixtures, and ground support equipment as needed to support integration and test activities.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a similar engineering discipline.
A minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in a mechanical engineering role
At least two (2) years of experience leading engineering teams as a people manager or technical lead with formal leadership responsibilities.
Demonstrable experience working in the satellite or launch industry maturing designs from initial concepts to detailed manufacturing drawings
Working knowledge of design requirements for space systems
Experience leading teams to deliver against challenging technical and/or schedule requirements
High proficiency with Creo CAD software to develop part and assembly models, and manufacturing drawings within a Windchill environment
Strong understanding of the ASME Y14.5 dimensioning and tolerancing specification
Must be a US Person
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with spacecraft mechanisms
Experience with wire harness design
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
Professional development
Mac or PC? Your choice!
Awesome swag
The anticipated salary range for candidates in Seattle, WA is $175,000-205,000 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 Seattle, WA.
BlackSky is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity 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.
- EEO/Pay Transparency Statements: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf
- https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf
