Space Systems Technical Project Manager

Position

Black Sky is looking for a talented and creative Space Systems Project Manager who is not only comfortable with a high level of ambiguity but can also quickly translate new information into decisive action by a large team through reliance on feedback from stakeholders. This position requires an independent thinker and self‑directed individual who consistently strives to learn, grow, and lead.

This program manager will support a team of Systems and Mechanical engineering teams and work within the broader program architecture of Satellite and Launch programs  scope of this role is the design, buy, build, test lifecycle within the structures subsystem: from early concept and requirement definition through hardware receipt and readiness for vehicle integration. Additionally, this role will include ownership of our launch verification and test campaigns.

This position is a critical element of Black Sky’s internal programs team. The ideal candidate has demonstrated the ability to manage their own efforts over a broad scope of work as an independent contributor, forging solutions and risk mitigation from a set of critical constraints. The candidate should also have the ability and willingness to lean in, solve new problems, and operate as a team.

The role will be based out of the South Lake Union office with consistent time spent at the production facility in Tukwila. Remote candidates may be considered with willingness to travel to the launch site up to three times per year for two weeks, as well as to Black Sky production facilities as needed, but no more than 25% overall.

• Oversee the full scope of design, buy, build, and test within the structures subsystem and launch verification and test campaigns, managing both internal and external efforts
• Develop integrated plans and schedules, obtaining buy‑in from key engineering, program management, procurement, and production stakeholders
• Own daily tasking and deconfliction of activities within areas of responsibility
• Support task management for the engineering team including risk, and integrated schedule management for the program for key subsystem development of the satellite and key hardware
• Interface with the engineering teams to evaluate compliance with the specification and opportunities to improve the subsystem to benefit business and schedule performance
• Track action items and schedules across engineering teams, including maintaining accurate logs of design release status
• Coordinate with the procurement team to support ordering and receipt of build‑to‑print parts in support of the broader build schedules
• Align timeline for testing, analysis, and qualification to support structural evaluation of components
• Drive technical communications with the larger technical teams and engineering leadership to shape the development framework to support test, qualification, and launch planning
• Shepherd the engineering team through key milestone reviews including Preliminary Design, Critical Design, Test Readiness, and early production deliveries
• Support supply chain in understanding engineering changes, performance, and key dependencies for supplier test and delivery schedules
• Support the entire development lifecycle for optimization and identify design and decision gates along with developing the associated criteria
• Support qualification testing, testing review, and set up, and own the programmatic timeline for component testing
• Manage reports and support development of standard documentation with respect to satellite qualification and flight testing
• Interface with the full system‑level schedule and identify key milestones to manage risk
• Support development of launch schedules and planning for launch campaigns
• Facilitate and become an expert in satellite site testing, including developing training material for other team members

• Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent experience
• Three years of direct project management experience or related experience
• Experience working on projects involving significant mechanical and wire‑harness part design and complex systems with hardware and integrated software…