--- title: 'Logistics Coordinator at Observable Space' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/logistics-coordinator-observable-space-detroit-n2ryz0qjfqmy' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # Logistics Coordinator at Observable Space - **Company:** Observable Space - **Location:** Detroit, MI - **Compensation:** $50k–$65k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-09-08 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/observable-space/ec8ea22a-4455-4dd8-84de-99ce08caece1 ## Job description ## ABOUT OBSERVABLE SPACE At Observable Space, we're redefining how humanity observes and connects with the universe. We're a vertically integrated, high-growth, space technology company building industry-leading precision optics platforms for Earth and in space. Our systems are trusted by thousands of customers, including NASA, JPL, SpaceX, Boeing, RTX, the US Space Force and the U.S. Department of War, leading research institutions and international partners. We combine precision opto-mechanical hardware, embedded compute, cloud orchestration, and developer-friendly APIs into world class products at scale with in-house manufacturing. From advanced ground stations, on-orbit sensor suites, free space optical lasercom, to distributed compute platforms, we deliver the foundational systems enabling continuous, real-time navigation, observation, and communication in space. Observable Space is backed by top-tier institutional investors including Lux Capital, Upfront Ventures, RTX Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners and Embedded Ventures. To learn more, visit observable.space http://observable.space. ## ABOUT THE ROLE Observable Space is hiring a Logistics Coordinator to help manage the movement of materials, components, and finished systems across our growing operations. You’ll coordinate both inbound shipments from suppliers and outbound shipments of our systems and equipment to customers and sites across the U.S. and internationally. This role sits at the intersection of manufacturing, supply chain, and customer delivery. You’ll own the day-to-day coordination of shipments from planning through delivery — working with carriers, freight forwarders, suppliers, customers, and internal teams; preparing required documentation; tracking shipments; and proactively resolving issues when plans change. As our operations expand into more customers, sites, and countries, you’ll help build the processes needed to make our logistics operations reliable and scalable. ## WHAT YOU'LL DO Shipment Coordination - Coordinate domestic and international inbound and outbound shipments with carriers, freight forwarders, suppliers, customers, and internal teams - Manage shipments from initial planning through final delivery, ensuring materials and systems arrive where they need to be, when they need to be there - Coordinate inbound shipments of materials and components from suppliers to support manufacturing schedules - Coordinate outbound shipments of finished systems, equipment, spare parts, and other materials to customers and deployment sites - Track multiple active shipments and proactively communicate status, delays, and changes to relevant stakeholders - Troubleshoot transportation delays, missed deliveries, damaged shipments, and other logistics issues through resolution International Shipping & Documentation - Prepare and maintain shipping documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and customs documentation - Coordinate with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and other partners to support international shipments and customs clearance - Coordinate customs and commercial documentation for equipment traveling with Field Support/Services personnel, including tools, spare parts, and replacement or warranty items - Gather and verify shipment information needed for import and export requirements - Maintain accurate and complete shipment records and supporting documentation - Escalate complex customs, regulatory, or international shipping issues when additional expertise is required Logistics Operations - Maintain accurate logistics trackers and systems so internal teams have visibility into shipment status and upcoming deliveries - Coordinate closely with Manufacturing, Sales, Sourcing, Field Support, and Marketing to align shipments with production and customer requirements - Review freight costs and support efforts to improve shipping efficiency, cost, and reliability - Help develop and improve standard logistics processes, documentation, and workflows as the company scales - Provide additional logistics and supply chain support as priorities evolve ## WHAT YOU'LL BRING - Experience in logistics, transportation, freight, shipping, supply chain coordination, or a similar role - Experience coordinating domestic shipments; exposure to international shipping and customs documentation is strongly preferred - Strong organizational skills and the ability to coordinate multiple shipments and priorities simultaneously - Exceptional attention to detail, particularly when preparing and reviewing shipping and customs documentation - Strong written and verbal communication skills - Ability to troubleshoot problems, adapt quickly when plans change, and drive issues through resolution - Comfort working with ERP systems, shipping platforms, spreadsheets, and other logistics tools - Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment ## WHO YOU ARE - Highly organized and comfortable managing multiple moving pieces at once - Proactive — you track shipments closely, anticipate issues, and communicate before someone has to ask - Detail-oriented and understand that small errors in shipping documentation can create significant delays - Resourceful and calm when transportation, customs, or scheduling challenges arise - A clear communicator who can work effectively with suppliers, carriers, customers, and internal teams - Customer-focused and understand the importance of delivering on commitments - Accountable and committed to following issues through to resolution ## WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE - Play a pivotal role in getting our systems and equipment to customers and sites around the world ## WHAT WE OFFER Competitive Compensation – A salary package aligned with industry standards and your experience. Equity Opportunities – Take part in our success with stock options. Flexible Work Environment – Enjoy working from our office or in a hybrid work setup with the flexibility to work remotely part of the week. We require a minimum of 3 days per week in our office to support collaboration and team culture. (LA Office only) Unlimited PTO (exempt only) – Take the time you need with our flexible, trust-based vacation policy, including paid holidays. We encourage everyone to rest, recharge, and take care of themselves. Health & Wellness – Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with 100% of the premium paid by the employer for employees. Cutting-Edge Tools – Get access to the latest hardware and software you need to do your best work. Mission-Driven Culture – Be part of a team working on meaningful challenges with real-world impact. Inclusive Team – We foster a supportive and diverse workplace where all voices are valued. Observable Space is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. ## About Observable Space ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Observable Space is a vertically-integrated space technology company building the infrastructure for satellites and spacecraft to see, navigate, and communicate through laser communications, ground-based optical sensing, and in-space payloads. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A) - **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, United States - **Founded**: 2025 (merger of OurSky and PlaneWave Instruments) - **Founders**: Dan Roelker (Co-Founder & CEO), Connor Poole (Co-Founder & CTO), Rick Hedrick (Co-Founder & President) ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Space Research and Technology, Defense & National Security - **Target Customers**: B2B and B2G (Government) — including U.S. Space Force, NASA, commercial space companies, universities, and research institutions; also serves B2C advanced amateur astronomers - **Mission Statement**: To provide the foundational elements every organization and individual needs to operate in space, from telescopes to software architecture. ## Products & Services - **Turnkey Laser Communications Ground Stations**: High-throughput lasercom ground stations featuring integrated transmitters, large-aperture designs, and modular optics. Supports QPSK coherent and NRZ OOK incoherent optical links. SDA OCT 3.0+ compliant and 100G OpenZR+ ready. Used in NASA’s Artemis II mission and the TBIRD demo. - **Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Platform (OS Platform)**: A globally distributed network of 40+ ground sites providing real-time observation, tracking, and analysis of objects in space (LEO, MEO, GEO, cis-lunar). Has executed 2.6 million automated tasks, identified 20 million+ targets, and completed 84,000 hours of continuous orbital monitoring. - **Iguana In-Space Imager**: A 200mm, 3-aperture multi-spectral in-space imaging payload with onboard edge processing. Designed as a compact, off-the-shelf system with an 8-week lead time for on-orbit space domain awareness and rendezvous & proximity operations. First launch planned for 2026. - **PlaneWave Telescopes (Consumer & Research)**: Software-defined telescopes including the Delta Rho 280 (Argus array design) and FSCT8 8-inch astrograph for astrophotography, photometric surveys, and SDA applications. - **ATOMS (Advanced Telescope Optics Mobility System)**: Expeditionary, off-grid mobile optical sensing stations for rapid deployment by the U.S. Space Force under the APFIT program. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not disclosed - **Total Funding**: $106M+ (Seed: $16M; Series A: $90M announced May 2026) - **Key Metric**: $94 million sole-sourced IDIQ contract from U.S. Space Force (May 2026); $22M in initial task orders awarded - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Lux Capital (Series A lead), Upfront Ventures (co-lead), Detroit Venture Partners, Island Green Capital, RTX Ventures, BRV Capital, Fathom Fund, Venrex, In-Q-Tel (IQT) - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew from ~38 to 175+ employees (May 2026); 158.8% YoY growth; expanding manufacturing in Detroit, Michigan; entering European markets via partnership with Baader Planetarium; launching first in-space payload (Iguana) in 2026; selected for U.S. Space Force APFIT Deployable Attritable Optical (DAO) program ## Competitive Advantages - **Vertical Integration**: Full-stack ownership of hardware (telescopes, optics, ground stations) and software (developer platform, real-time data processing, edge compute) — rare in the space industry - **Proven Government & NASA Track Record**: Sole-source Space Force IDIQ, NASA Artemis II & TBIRD missions, DARPA heritage - **Global Infrastructure**: 40+ ground sites worldwide with sub-arcsec tracking precision; world’s largest telescope network - **Manufacturing Scale**: 57-acre campus in Adrian, Michigan, with additional Detroit facilities for domestic production of critical national security technologies - **Founding Team DNA**: CEO Dan Roelker is former SpaceX VP of Software Engineering (reported directly to Elon Musk); leadership hails from SpaceX, NASA JPL, DARPA, and leading tech companies ## Strategic Focus - Scaling manufacturing capacity for lasercom ground stations and optical systems (Detroit and Michigan facilities) - Launching first in-space optical payload (Iguana) in 2026 - Expanding international operations, especially in Europe via Baader Planetarium partnership - Growing consumer telescope product line (Delta Rho 280, FSCT8) - Deepening U.S. Space Force and defense relationships under the APFIT program - Building out the OS Platform with additional 1–1.8 meter class telescopes globally ## Why Work Here - **Culture & Team**: Founded by former SpaceX executives; team includes alumni from SpaceX, NASA JPL, DARPA, Riot Games, Salesforce, DoorDash, Dell, Disney — a blend of aerospace, tech, and gaming talent - **Impact**: Work on cutting-edge space technology used by NASA, U.S. Space Force, and leading research institutions; directly contribute to national security and space exploration missions - **Growth Trajectory**: Hypergrowth stage — 158.8% headcount growth YoY, fresh $90M Series A, major government contracts. Opportunity to shape a company in its early scaling phase - **Locations**: HQ in Los Angeles, CA; manufacturing & optics campus in Adrian, MI; facilities in Detroit, MI; presence in Germany and Netherlands - **Work Policy**: Not explicitly stated, but likely hybrid for engineering roles given manufacturing and lab requirements - **Notable Perks**: Working with world-class optical systems and space hardware; involvement in historic NASA and Space Force missions; access to a 57-acre Michigan campus with deep manufacturing heritage ## Sources 1. [Observable Space - Homepage](https://observable.space/) 2. [Observable Space - Careers Page](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/observable-space) 3. [Observable Space - LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/observable-space) 4. [Observable Space - Press Release: Series A & Space Force Contract (May 2026)](https://observable.space/news/observable-space-closes-90-million-series-a-to-scale-manufacturing-and-turnkey-lasercom-platform-announces-94-million-u-s-space-force-contract/) 5. [Observable Space - Press Release: Merger Announcement (Feb 2025)](https://observable.space/introducing-observable-space/) ## Other roles at Observable Space - [Operations Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-coordinator-observable-space-los-angeles-nkc82a16qjs5) — Los Angeles, CA - [Director of Sales, Space-based Optics](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-sales-space-based-optics-observable-space-los-angeles-2gw69wv0terj) — Los Angeles, CA - [Computer Vision Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-observable-space-los-angeles-qr57v89sp431) — Los Angeles, CA - [Inventory Control Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/inventory-control-manager-observable-space-adrian-w4mpm8k7gv44) — Adrian, MI - [Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/controller-observable-space-los-angeles-pr4c1mmfft4a) — Los Angeles, CA - [Prototype Machinist](https://feeny.ai/job/prototype-machinist-observable-space-los-angeles-xg25hqbh0fw6) — Los Angeles, CA - [Staff Flight Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-flight-software-engineer-observable-space-los-angeles-n6dvwyqytjs2) — Los Angeles, CA - [Sr. Electrical Engineer, Lasercom](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-electrical-engineer-lasercom-observable-space-los-angeles-cgvnhdt2tcv2) — Los Angeles, CA - [Prototype Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/prototype-engineer-observable-space-los-angeles-9wg08fqrctpp) — Los Angeles, CA - [Business Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/business-operations-manager-observable-space-los-angeles-qdhc6mb8d9ag) — Los Angeles, CA