Lead, Systems Engineering

Capella Space stands at the forefront of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation intelligence and advanced satellite technologies. We provide customers in governments, academia, and commercial sectors with reliable information that enables unparalleled understanding of the world. Our mission is centered on delivering timely and reliable Earth imagery, supporting diverse applications in defense & intelligence, disaster response, energy, environmental monitoring and more. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, Capella Space designs, manufactures and operates an advanced constellation of SAR imaging satellites. Our market-leading SAR satellites are complemented by an unmatched data infrastructure and automated ordering and delivery platform for fast, reliable insights where and when customers need it most. 

Recognized for our technological prowess, Capella Space was honored as one of the 10 most innovative companies in Space in 2023 by FASTCOMPANY. Capella Space is an internationally trusted Earth Observation data provider, working closely with the U.S. Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force, NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the Canadian Government and more to make unclassified, high-resolution SAR data more accessible.  

What Makes Capella Unique? 

Capella Space is a highly collaborative team environment, providing an opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the space industry, though no prior space experience is needed.  We’re looking for people excited about tackling seemingly impossible challenges, learning new skills and concepts, and helping each other achieve success. Our mission and our products are meant to understand the whole world and help everyone in it - regardless of race, creed, or any other distinction. We encourage you to bring your unique perspective to help make us stronger, including applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. 

About the Role 

Capella Space is looking for an experienced leader to manage the CapTech (Capella Technology) Systems Engineering team. This team bridges the gap between a legacy IT team and a modern infrastructure engineering team, developing tools and capabilities which support the business from HR to Flight Systems. CapTech is responsible for much of the technical “backbone” of Capella’s technology, supporting everything from our chat system to the Cloud infrastructure used to keep our birds in the air. This critical team needs a leader to guide its execution and growth over the next several years.

In this role, you will: 

• Lead a blended systems and infrastructure engineering team to develop and improve systems supporting Capella Space’s mission
• Practice effective career management and skill development with direct reports
• Leverage Agile or another management methodology to measure progress against program objectives and improve team predictability
• Work with IT, Security, and other Business leadership to develop execution plans and milestones based on Capella’s business objectives
• Engage with other Capella managers and leadership to identify and address deficiencies affecting worker productivity

A successful candidate for this role:

• Communicates effectively with both ICs, management and end-users
• Has proven experience as a manager of engineering teams
• Is comfortable prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Feels a strong sense of ownership over the team’s output
• Has a deep understanding of several system or infrastructure domains, such as (AWS) Cloud technologies, Linux or Windows systems, Infrastructure as Code, etc
• Is detail-oriented and effectively organizes multiple employees and projects
• Understands security principles through NIST frameworks, ISO, CMMC or certifications such as CISSP
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Compensation 

The annual salary range for this role as it is posted is $124,160.00 - $164,512.00.  The final job level and annual salary will be determined based on the education, qualification, knowledge, skills, ability, and experience of the final candidate(s), specific office location and calibrated against relevant market data and internal team equity.  Benefits listed in this posting may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Capella Space.