Staff Mechanical Engineer - Optical Payloads Verified today

About BlackSky

BlackSky is a real-time intelligence company that owns and operates a space-based intelligence platform delivering satellite imagery, automated analytics, and high-frequency monitoring of strategic locations globally. The company serves allied military, intelligence, and commercial customers.

The Role

As Staff Mechanical Engineer on the Optical Payload team, you will support the development and integration of satellite optical payloads from concept to production. You will serve as both technical leader and individual contributor, ensuring payloads and spacecraft bus structures integrate to meet structural and thermal requirements. You will interact with flight, prototype, and ground support hardware as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Ensure payloads developed by partners meet stringent mechanical requirements through active collaboration throughout the program lifecycle.
• Lead mechanical design and integration of payloads into satellite structures, developing technical plans that address requirements, risks, and schedule.
• Design spacecraft mechanical structures, assemblies, and components using CAD software (Creo).
• Generate and maintain engineering and manufacturing documentation including 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 to support integration and test activities.
• Work within multidisciplinary teams to deliver space vehicle designs, production plans, and test strategies that support program cost, schedule, and quality goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or similar engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of professional experience in a mechanical engineering role.
• Demonstrable experience working in the satellite or launch industry maturing designs from initial concepts to detailed manufacturing drawings.
• Experience working on the mechanical design of optical systems.
• Familiarity with typical design requirements for space systems.
• Experience leading small to moderate scale efforts with cross-functional teams.
• Experience using CAD software to develop part and assembly models and manufacturing drawings.
• Working knowledge of ANSI Y14.5 dimensioning and tolerance specification.
• Must be a US Person.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PTC Creo and Windchill software.
• Experience with structural analysis and test.
• Experience with thermal analysis and test.

Compensation and Benefits

Anticipated salary range for the Great Seattle Area is 160,000-180,000 per year, dependent on background and education. Benefits for full-time eligible employees include medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance (BlackSky pays 100% of employee-only premiums for medical, dental and vision, and contributes 100 dollars per month for out-of-pocket expenses), 15 days PTO, 11 company holidays, four floating holidays, one day paid volunteerism leave annually, parental leave, 401(k) with employer match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Stock Purchase Program, Employee Assistance Program, Travel Assistance Program, employer matching donations, and professional development.