Staff Software Engineer, Mission Planning 

About Us:

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.

BlackSky is looking for a strong, self-starting and eager engineer to join our Mission Planning Engineering team. This integrated product team is working to develop and maintain optimal, automated autonomous operations for the BlackSky constellation. Scope of expertise includes software system design and architecture, data structures, efficient data storage and retrieval, software performance and scaling, and efficient maintainable algorithm implementation. The candidate should have solid experience in developing and deploying production-level systems at scale.

In this role, you will develop and track requirements, schedules, and technical implementation for a wide variety of mission planning products and see them through to operation on orbit. Opportunities will exist for production code development in Python and Go, as well as internal tooling development for measuring KPIs, troubleshooting performance problems, and identifying and correcting inefficiencies in planning algorithms. As you learn the BlackSky automated software architecture, you will be expected to grow into technical or functional leadership after demonstrated capability for individual contribution and development of expert level of knowledge of the system.

While the locations listed in the job posting are ideal, we would love candidates near either our Herndon, VA or Seattle, WA offices. We may also consider remote candidates in certain states. 

Responsibilities:

  • Contribute to mission planning integrated product team, interfacing with mission planning, ground software, and product engineers to plan and execute autonomous constellation operations software products.
  • Model, implement, and test concepts of operation for autonomous planning of various constellation activities including imaging, system calibration, propulsion, or other critical activities.
  • Model satellite subsystems (communications, power, attitude) using methods that are compatible with existing and future ground and control software algorithms as needed to support Mission Planning functions.
  • Develop production-level software in Go specifically for mission planning algorithms and supporting subroutines.
  • Support ongoing constellation operations and customer fulfillment efforts as a mission planning subject matter expert.
  • Translate product concepts to engineering requirements and facilitate review and discussion among stakeholders.
  • Occasional 24/7 support expected during Launch and Early Operations or Anomaly Response in support of debugging and fixing mission planning algorithms.
  • Independently design and implement software improvements or features in support of mission planning with limited to no direction.
  • Other job-related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or higher in one of the following fields: computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics, or another computational field.
  • At least twelve (12) years of relevant software development experience. 
  • Familiarity with satellite first principals such as orbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, and satellite systems.
  • Experience writing technical requirements and driving to implementation.
  • Expert level proficiency in one or more compiled multi-threaded programming languages.
  • Working knowledge of Go.
  • Expert knowledge of software design, maintenance, and implementation including data structures, data retrieval and storage, algorithm efficiency, and maintainable scalable code.
  • Expertise in software/hardware performance characteristics.
  • Demonstrated initiative to identify and solve problems or inefficiencies in your current field of expertise.
  • Possess strong team and inter-team cooperation and organization skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong understanding of audience.
  • Ability to sustain a workload consisting of several concurrent, independent activities.
  • Demonstrated experience in self-guided software development, both as an individual contributor and as a technical team lead. This experience should highlight your ability to develop high quality code as well as train and lead small teams in feature development in a multi-threaded programming language.
  • Must be a US citizen.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with automation of complex systems (satellite, vehicle fleets, drones, etc.).
  • Strong familiarity with orbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, and satellite systems.
  • Expertise in low-level performance tuning such as processor cache optimization, and optimizing data structure memory layouts, and saturating data buses to maximize performance.
  • Experience with planning algorithms and fluency with inputs/outputs/constraints to such systems.
  • Expertise with integer or linear program solvers.
  • Familiarity with Julia.

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 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 $165,000-$185,000 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/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.

EEO/AAP/ 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

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