Chief Satellite Engineer, Space Sector

Chief Satellite Engineer, Xplore, Inc. Redmond, Washington USA

• The new technology frontier is rapidly expanding – and Xplore is pushing the boundaries and accelerating growth with new capabilities to transform industries with insights from space. Xplore is building a first-of-its-kind multi-sensor low Earth orbit satellite constellation designed to deliver a new class of innovative and affordable data products for Earth observation, space domain awareness, and astronomy.
• Xplore is currently recruiting innovative space hardware, software, sensors, processing and data technology professionals to be part of an exciting and rapidly growing company. Xplore offers market competitive compensation and benefits for our employees who enjoy working in a fast-paced, intellectually challenging, fun, value-based collaborative environment.
• Xplore is a venture-backed space technology startup based in Redmond, WA. We provide proprietary sensor-captured data from space that enables our customer’s insights, intelligence, inspiration, and discovery of our planet and the solar system for commercial, government, defense, NGO, and research applications.
• Xplore is an equal-opportunity employer; employment with Xplore is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
• Xplore participates in E-Verify. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. All persons hired must be a current U.S. citizen or current lawful permanent resident of the U.S.

Summary of Position

This is a leadership role.

Xplore is launching a next-generation satellite platform, the XCRAFT®, with a suite of sensors to obtain high-quality data products for our customers at low-cost.

The Chief Satellite Engineer is challenged to build the satellites for Xplore’s constellation that are robust, adaptable, upgradeable, and efficient for long-duration missions.

This individual will play an integral role in technology design, development, and deployment. They must have demonstrated experience program managing the build of operational satellites. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate an ability to work with minimal supervision while being responsive and flexible within the framework of an agile space start-up.

The Chief Satellite Engineer will initially have 10 direct reports, 5 indirect reports and will report to the CTO and CEO. The team will grow over time as we launch additional satellites. The Chief Satellite Engineer will work with the Systems Engineering, Flight Software Team, Ground Software Team, and subsystem leads to grow our satellite programs.

The role will be local to the Redmond, Washington area.

Requirements

Must be a current U.S. citizen or current lawful permanent resident of the U.S.

Required Minimum Education: Masters degree in system engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software development, math or physics.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage satellite programs from initial development through launch and operations
• Manage payload programs from initial development through launch and operations
• Maintain agile program and process management to deliver high-capability systems within cost and schedule constraints
• Design and develop innovative engineering solutions for satellite subsystems and payloads
• Evaluate and work with external partners and vendors to obtain components, payloads and servicesLead, mentor and grow the satellite team

Required Qualifications and Skills

· 5 or more years leading satellite programs

· 10 or more years working on satellite programs

· Demonstrated experience leading, recruiting and managing technical team members toward the business goal

· Demonstrated ability to excel in partner selection, problem solving, troubleshooting, cost engineering and the ability to achieve a successful flight program.

Travel

Travel for this role is minimal but will include visits to partners, subsystem and payload vendors.

Priorities to be accomplished in the first 6-months:

- Progress the AIT program on the XCRAFT

- Expand procurement for future XCRAFT

- Integrate customer payloads

- Design new space vehicle platforms to deploy our sensors to LEO, VELO and cislunar orbits

Culture

Xplore culture is based in innovation and deployment of advanced satellites, software and services.

People at Xplore work collaboratively within a relatively flat organization. Team members have open and honest communication about their work and contributions to the overall success of the company.

Initiative and out-of-the-box thinking are encouraged, and willingness to participate on multiple, diverse efforts enriches the culture across the board. Employees are empowered to innovate.

We progress through shared experiences and enjoy a healthy camaraderie fostered by creating solutions that implement our strategy.

Compensation

The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $170,000 – $210,000 per year.

Xplore has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills.

Benefits

Benefits Package Highlights

Employees (and their families) can be covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. The HSA qualified plan is for full-time employees working 30 hours or more per week.

Full time employees earn PTO at a rate of 1.33 days per month. There are a minimum of 13 paid holidays each year for full-time employees.

The company offers an equity incentive plan for qualified full-time employees.

Geographic Requirements

The role is local to the Redmond, Washington area. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate.

This is an excellent opportunity to relocate to the Redmond, WA Region as it is considered one of the best places to live in Washington. With a growing population of over 76,000., residents enjoy a mixture of urban and suburban living. The Redmond Space District has just been announced as the Northwest’s hotspot for the satellite industry.

The Recruitment Process

Xplore has retained Boxwood to exclusively conduct a different kind of recruitment. We have selected Boxwood because we are believers in Boxwood’s unique approach to candidate selection and qualification. While this process is different, we feel that it genuinely offers both candidates and the company the best opportunity to get to know each other at a deeper level than is typical with the conventional interview approach.

Please use the link below for a short video on the Boxwood Process.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1thq1mzow8hzeu4/Boxwood%20Process%20Introduced%20to%20Candidates.mp4?dl=0

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are first asked to view the Boxwood short video and thoroughly review the detailed position description. Once completed, please apply for this role.

More About Xplore

Please use the link below for company leadership.

https://www.xplore.com/about.html

Please use the link below for recent press and videos.

https://www.xplore.com/press.html