Staff Advanced Concepts Systems Engineer

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October 23

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Capella Space

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Aerospace • Security • Government

Capella Space is a company that provides advanced Earth observation data using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. These satellites offer high-resolution imagery with all-weather, day-and-night capabilities, allowing for responsive and precise data collection and analytics. Capella Space is known for its rapid scalability, high revisit rates, and robust customer support, targeting applications such as intelligence gathering, damage verification, maritime monitoring, and post-disaster assessment. Their fully automated tasking and scalable satellite constellation enable seamless access to accurate and actionable insights, serving a variety of industries with critical data needs.

51 - 200 employees

Founded 2016

🚀 Aerospace

🔐 Security

🏛️ Government

💰 $60M Venture Round on 2023-01

📋 Description

• Lead the creation of mission concepts, reference architectures, and CONOPS for future space missions. • Integrate emerging technologies into coherent and credible system designs. • Evaluate technical and programmatic feasibility through trade studies, modeling, simulation, and system analysis. • Lead internal advanced concept studies, prototypes, and demonstrations. • Partner with radar, systems, and payload leads—as well as PIs—to identify where emerging technologies become mission-enabling. • Coordinate with the Technology Transition Lead to flag promising concepts for handoff to engineering. • Collaborate with the Technical Director to develop presentation materials, budget justifications, and investment proposals for internal and external stakeholders. • Perform technology forecasting and gap analysis aligned with company strategy and long-term technology roadmaps. • Identify cross-cutting opportunities where multiple emerging technologies converge to enable new mission architectures. • Track competitor and government R&D investments (e.g., DARPA, NASA STMD, AFRL) to inform positioning and strategic planning. • Serve as a technical interface with DARPA, NASA STMD, AFRL, and other government or commercial customers on early-stage concept studies. • Support proposal development including concept papers, white papers, and BAA responses. • Represent the company at technical workshops, conferences, and industry consortia, showcasing innovative mission concepts. • Present future mission concepts to customers and stakeholders, clearly articulating feasibility, value, and alignment with objectives. • Lead a small, high-performing team of principal investigators and engineers developing mission concept studies. • Mentor junior engineers in trade study execution, modeling and simulation, and proposal development. • Foster a culture of experimentation, technical excellence, and disciplined risk-taking, ensuring a balance between innovation and rigor. • Delivery of credible, well-documented mission studies with traceable assumptions and system models. • Achievement of 6.1/6.2 contract wins and alignment of internal IRAD toward validated concepts. • Successful transition of concepts into funded pathfinder or prototype programs. • Recognition by customers and partners as a thought leader in mission architecture and payload integration. • Sustained pipeline of mission concepts feeding both internal R&D and mainline engineering activities.

🎯 Requirements

• S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or related field (Ph.D. preferred). • 10+ years of experience in space mission design, architecture, or systems integration, including work on early-stage concept development. • Proven ability to translate emerging technologies into executable mission architectures and CONOPS. • Experience interfacing with government R&D agencies (DARPA, AFRL, NASA, etc.) and contributing to competitive proposal efforts. • Strong modeling, analytical, and trade study skills; familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools preferred. • Demonstrated leadership of multi-disciplinary teams and ability to guide conceptual efforts toward tangible outcomes. • 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.

🏖️ Benefits

• We provide extensive medical coverage, including strong vision and dental plans, flexible spending accounts, and additional supplemental health options. • Paid Flexible Time Off Policy • 401K Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals • Parental Leave program • Lifestyle Spending Account • Commuter & Parking Benefits • Mental Health Resources • Monthly Phone Stipend • Furry friends? We’ve got you covered with dog-friendly work environment & them with pet insurance options