--- title: 'Senior Electrical Engineer at BlackSky' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-blacksky-tukwila-1f460cvnx8th' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-13' --- # Senior Electrical Engineer at BlackSky - **Company:** BlackSky - **Location:** Tukwila, WA - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-10-12 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/blacksky/jobs/8870818002?gh_jid=8870818002 ## Job description Senior Electrical Engineer 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. As a part of our Electrical Engineering group, you will be expected to be a key contributor for the design and development of the power subsystem through all phases of system development as well as support the design, development, and production of space electronics through all phases of the product lifecycle. As a power subsystem designer, you will derive and maintain system requirements, participate in component downselections and trade studies, interface with suppliers, and support design reviews through delivery of the spacecraft. You will also own and maintain power budgets and power simulations for a low earth orbit spacecraft. As an electronics designer you will create and review electrical designs, schematics, layouts, and simulations for analog and digital systems. You will also provide general electrical engineering expertise to help solve a wide array of design challenges that arise through the course of design, development, integration, test, launch, and operation of small satellite constellations. This position reports to the Director, Electrical Engineering and is a hybrid role based out of our Tukwila, WA office. Responsibilities: - Be a subject matter expert for the electrical subsystem design for smallsat spacecraft - Champion all phases of electrical subsystem development: design, integration, test, operations, and maintenance - Develop and maintain system deliverables such as Power Budgets, System EICDs, and Power Simulations - Support design reviews to ensure requirements and interface compliance - Work with mission architects, systems engineers, and program managers to derive and maintain meaningful requirements - Create and review system-level electrical design documents (e.g. flight harnesses, interconnect diagrams, grounding schemes) - Work closely with external providers of electronics to review designs, identify and resolve issues and develop integration and test approaches - Work with integration testers to develop test plans that ensure adequate testing of units and the complete system - Support a unit production line by being an electrical subject matter expert for issues that may occur - Support design updates of existing space electronics units by performing component selection and running electrical analyses and simulations Required Qualifications: - Bachelors of Science (or greater) degree in Electrical Engineering or Embedded Systems - 6+ years of experience delivering digital and/or analog embedded hardware - Proficiency in designing spacecraft power system concepts from contract level requirements and Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) - Familiarity with building Power Budgets for LEO spacecraft and first principals knowledge regarding battery and photovoltaic technology - Familiarity with designing system validation plans for electric power subsystems. - Extensive experience developing electronics hardware for space and/or other highly demanding environments (temperature, reliability, radiation, etc.) - Proficiency in performing schematic capture, perform/oversee layout, and supporting manufacturing at external EMS vendors - Familiarity with managing and reviewing existing in-house and subcontractor designs/subassemblies - Proficiency with: troubleshooting and diagnosis of electronics, debug and board bringup, and system level testing methodologies - Proficiency with Altium or similar tools for circuit design/schematic capture and library management - A passion for technology and rapid execution of sophisticated space missions - Must be a US Person Preferred Qualifications: - 2-3 years experience with power systems (including battery) design and testing - Familiarity with Atlassian tools (JIRA, Confluence, etc.) or similar tools in an agile development process - Familiarity with modern requirements management tools (JAMA, DOORS, etc.) - Familiarity with enterprise MRP/ERP systems - Famliiarity with Product Assurance best practices for aerospace electronics - Familiarity with SIMPLIS/SIMetrix electronics modeling 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 - Awesome swag The anticipated salary range for candidates in the Great Seattle Area, WA is 120,000 -150,000 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 the Great Seattle Area. BlackSky is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity. 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 ## About BlackSky ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: BlackSky is a real-time, space-based intelligence company that delivers on-demand, high-frequency satellite imagery, analytics, and monitoring of critical global locations, assets, and events. - **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: BKSY) - **Headquarters**: Herndon, Virginia, USA (with a satellite manufacturing facility in Tukwila, Washington) - **Founded**: 2013 (as BlackSky Global, a spin-off from Spaceflight Industries) - **Founders**: Brian E. Bjelde, Nick Merski, and Jordan Tate ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Earth Observation / Space-based Intelligence / Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) - **Target customers**: B2B, primarily serving government defense and intelligence agencies (US and international), along with commercial enterprises in sectors like maritime, energy, and infrastructure. - **Mission or purpose statement**: To dramatically accelerate Earth observation from space for real-time monitoring. BlackSky enables customers to see, understand, and anticipate change for a decisive strategic advantage. ## Products & Services - **BlackSky Spectra®**: The company’s core software platform. It is a purpose-built, space-based intelligence platform for dynamic monitoring. It integrates tasking, collection, and AI-driven analytics to deliver actionable insights (e.g., object detection, change monitoring) in under 90 minutes on average. *Type*: SaaS / Analytics Platform. - **Satellite Constellation (Gen-2 & Gen-3)**: BlackSky owns and operates a proprietary fleet of high-resolution satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). The Gen-3 constellation, launched in 2025, is designed to be the world’s largest very high-resolution constellation by end of 2026. This provides high-revisit, low-latency tasking and data collection. *Type*: Hardware (Spacecraft) / Data Service. - **BlackSky Assured**: A subscription-based service offering dedicated, prioritized access to satellite tasking and data for persistent monitoring of specific areas of interest. *Type*: Service / Subscription. - **BlackSky On-Demand**: A flexible, worldwide tasking service for ad-hoc intelligence needs. *Type*: Service. - **Third-party Data Integration**: Through Spectra, users can access and analyze data from third-party satellite partners, creating a “virtual constellation.” *Type*: Platform Feature. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Market cap is approximately $350–$400 million (as of mid-2026, subject to market fluctuations). *Source*: Public market data. - **Key Metric**: As a public company, annual revenue is reported. For 2025, BlackSky reported revenue of approximately $107 million (a year-over-year increase of 35%). *Source*: BlackSky 2025 Annual Report (SEC 10-K). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Key institutional investors include entities like Neuberger Berman and AWM Investment Company. Strategic partners include government clients (e.g., U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, U.S. Space Force, international defense ministries) and commercial platform partners. - **Growth Signals**: - **Gen-3 Constellation Deployment**: Rapidly scaling its next-generation satellite fleet, with four Gen-3 satellites already operational. - **International Expansion**: Signed a new eight-figure international contract in March 2026 for “accelerated delivery of Gen-3 sovereign space-based intelligence solution.” - **Revenue Growth**: 35% revenue growth in 2025, demonstrating strong market demand. - **New Contract Wins**: Multiple seven-figure contracts announced in early 2026 for “Assured” services with international defense customers. ## Competitive Advantages - **Vertically Integrated Model**: BlackSky designs, manufactures, and operates its own satellites (in Tukwila, WA) and owns its software platform (Spectra). This end-to-end control allows for rapid iteration, cost optimization, and a tightly integrated hardware-software system. - **Speed & Low Latency**: The company is built on a culture of speed. Its platform delivers imagery and analytics in under 90 minutes on average, a key differentiator for time-sensitive defense and intelligence missions. - **AI-Powered Analytics**: BlackSky Spectra incorporates automated detection and classification models for vessels, aircraft, and vehicles, turning raw imagery into actionable intelligence at scale, freeing human analysts for higher-level tasks. - **First-of-its-Kind Platform**: BlackSky is recognized as the only purpose-built, real-time space-based intelligence platform that seamlessly combines tasking, collection, and analytics. ## Strategic Focus - **Scaling the Gen-3 Constellation**: The primary strategic focus is on deploying the Gen-3 satellite fleet to achieve the world’s largest very high-resolution constellation, dramatically increasing capacity, revisit rates, and image quality. - **Deepening Government & Defense Relationships**: Targeting larger, multi-year contracts with both U.S. and allied international defense and intelligence agencies, particularly for the “Assured” subscription model which provides predictable recurring revenue. - **Expanding Commercial Vertical Markets**: Growing adoption in commercial sectors (e.g., supply chain monitoring, infrastructure security, insurance) by demonstrating the value of time-sensitive, AI-driven intelligence. - **AI & Automation Leadership**: Continuing to invest heavily in AI and machine learning capabilities within Spectra to automate more of the intelligence workflow and maintain a technological edge. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven Impact**: Employees directly contribute to global security and situational awareness. The company states its work provides “global impact” by supporting real-world operations for national security and disaster response. - **Rapid Growth & Professional Development**: As a fast-growing, public company scaling its satellite constellation, BlackSky offers significant opportunities for advancement and responsibility, particularly in engineering, operations, and data science. - **Culture of Speed & Innovation**: The company emphasizes a lean, innovative culture where employees work alongside “bright and passionate people” on cutting-edge space technology challenges. The culture is described as one of tremendous professional growth. - **Work-Life Balance**: Employee testimonials on the careers page specifically highlight “healthy work-life balance” as a key reason they enjoy working at BlackSky. - **Workplace Policy**: The company is headquartered in Herndon, VA, with its satellite manufacturing facility in Tukwila, WA. Many roles (especially engineering) appear to be hybrid or on-site given the nature of the hardware and operations work. The careers page lists roles like Staff Engineer, Constellation Systems; Manager, People & Culture; and UX Designer, suggesting a mix of technical and corporate functions. *Source*: [BlackSky Careers Page](https://blacksky.com/company/careers/). ## Sources 1. [BlackSky Official Website](https://blacksky.com/) 2. [BlackSky Company Page](https://blacksky.com/company/) 3. [BlackSky Technology Page](https://blacksky.com/technology/) 4. [BlackSky Investor Relations](https://ir.blacksky.com/overview/default.aspx) 5. [BlackSky Careers Page](https://blacksky.com/company/careers/) ## Other roles at BlackSky - [Senior Infrastructure Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-infrastructure-engineer-blacksky-herndon-ewsy4eevwftp) — Herndon, VA - [Senior Engineer, Mission Planning](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-engineer-mission-planning-blacksky-seattle-3dq97bcz95av) — Seattle, WA / Herndon, VA - [Staff Mission Solutions Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-mission-solutions-engineer-blacksky-united-states-seattle-wa-herndon-va-k5zm4683n413) — United States / Seattle, WA / Herndon, VA - [Senior Satellite Launch Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-satellite-launch-manager-blacksky-seattle-h5kkdwtffxem) — Seattle, WA - [Financial Reporting Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/financial-reporting-manager-blacksky-herndon-va-q7hmsa6gf90d) — Herndon VA, OR - [Recruiting Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-blacksky-tukwila-wa-or-seattle-3de0rxa235a7) — Tukwila WA OR Seattle, WA - [Senior Security Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-security-analyst-blacksky-seattle-wa-herndon-qe4v1rsq77w4) — Seattle WA Herndon, VA - [Senior Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T) Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-assembly-integration-test-ai-t-engineer-blacksky-tukwila-tgej6fz321sd) — Tukwila, WA - [Senior Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-blacksky-herndon-va-or-seattle-wa-fb7v7xr46yv9) — Herndon VA OR Seattle WA, OR - [Principal DevSecOps Architect](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-devsecops-architect-blacksky-united-states-v7b1zswg4jdc) — United States