---
title: 'Senior Engineer, Mission Planning at BlackSky'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-engineer-mission-planning-blacksky-seattle-3dq97bcz95av'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-20'
---

# Senior Engineer, Mission Planning at BlackSky

- **Company:** BlackSky
- **Location:** Seattle, WA / Herndon, VA / United States
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-10-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-20
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/blacksky/jobs/8868605002?gh_jid=8868605002

## Job description

Senior 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 optimized autonomous operations for the BlackSky constellation. The Mission Planning Team works closely with the Mission Management SW Development team: Mission Planners own requirements documentation, initial scope and design documentation, and will lead SW feature development efforts by writing prototype code and/or written system level requirements which are executable by the SW development team. Strong candidates will have deep mission planning algorithm design experience, specifically for satellite or aerial imaging applications. Prior experience with different types of image planning logic, such as point targets, strip mapping, or pushbroom scanning or equivalent experience with time assignment problems is essential. The candidate should have solid experience in developing both prototype code and software system requirements.

In this role, you will develop and track system level 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 prototype code development in Python or Go, as well as internal tooling development for measuring KPIs, troubleshooting performance problems, and identifying and correcting inefficiencies in planning algorithms. While the primary responsibility of this hire will be to define system level and software requirements and prototype code, a strong background in production level software or embedded systems experience in spacecraft or autonomous vehicles will be valuable.

We have offices in Herndon, VA and Seattle, WA but are open to remote candidates.

Responsibilities:

- Contribute to mission planning integrated product team, interfacing with mission planning, ground software, and operations and product engineers to plan and execute autonomous constellation operations software features.
- Model, implement, and test concepts of operation for autonomous planning of various constellation activities including imaging, system calibration, propulsion, or other critical activities. This may involve leveraging heritage or building novel algorithms, as well developing new problem formulations to optimize image capture planning while respecting various other constraints and 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.
- 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 engineering, product and software stakeholders.
- Occasional 24/7 support expected during Launch and Early Operations or Anomaly Response in support of debugging and fixing mission planning algorithms.
- Other relevant duties assigned.

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or higher in one of the following fields: aerospace or mechanical engineering, systems engineering, computer science or equivalent.
- At least six (6) years of relevant professional experience.
- Experience with automation of complex systems (satellite, vehicle fleets, drones, shipping/delivery logistics etc.).
- Experience with planning or optimization algorithms and fluency with inputs/outputs/constraints to such systems.
- Experience writing technical requirements and driving to implementation.
- Experience with project management or software product development.
- Working knowledge of Go or Python.
- Knowledge of software design, maintenance, and implementation including data structures, data retrieval and storage, algorithm efficiency, and maintainable scalable code.
- 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.
- This program this role supports requires US citizenship.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Expertise in satellite or aerial imagery mission planning algorithms, specifically prior experience with point target, strip mapping, pushbroom, whiskbroom, wide area capture or stereo capture planning.
- Fluent in satellite first principals such as orbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, and satellite systems.
- Demonstrated experience with modelling/simulation projects.
- Strong familiarity with orbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, and satellite systems.
- Experience with planning algorithms and fluency with inputs/outputs/constraints to such systems.
- Expertise with integer or linear program solvers.
- Experience with embedded systems pertaining to satellites or other autonomous vehicles.

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

While we may consider more junior candidates, the anticipated salary range for candidates at the posted level in Seattle, WA is $120,000-145,000 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

## 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 Engineer - Embedded/Flight Software](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-engineer-embedded-flight-software-blacksky-seattle-8y254hxzffj9) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Infrastructure](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-infrastructure-blacksky-tukwila-4p6dw5aqajd9) — Tukwila, WA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Design in Test (SDET)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-design-in-test-sdet-blacksky-tukwila-3zgqa93v0p97) — Tukwila, WA
- [Staff HDL Hardware Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-hdl-hardware-engineer-blacksky-tukwila-0fbka01kvsgp) — Tukwila, WA
- [Staff Engineer, Flight Software/Embedded Software](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-flight-software-embedded-software-blacksky-seattle-ccs1x8y8h4aa) — Seattle, WA
- [Cost Controller, Spacecraft](https://feeny.ai/job/cost-controller-spacecraft-blacksky-tukwila-bkeafy79q2m2) — Tukwila, WA
- [Senior Structural Analysis Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-structural-analysis-engineer-blacksky-tukwila-z3j6q3sm9wqa) — Tukwila, WA
- [Assembly, Integration & Test (AI&T) Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/assembly-integration-test-ai-t-technician-blacksky-tukwila-daezhj51mcbe) — Tukwila, WA
- [Senior Electrical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-electrical-engineer-blacksky-tukwila-1f460cvnx8th) — Tukwila, WA
- [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