Principal Systems Engineer

HawkEye 360 is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to join the Systems Engineering Team to lead satellite systems engineering efforts supporting HawkEye 360’s next-generation RF collection payloads and commercial constellation. This includes spacecraft systems engineering, constellation planning, end-to-end system architecture, and supporting business development initiatives. In this strategic role, you will ensure key company mission and customer objectives are translated into clear, verifiable technical requirements and flowed down into the technical solution across spacecraft platforms.

You will collaborate across engineering, business development, and mission teams to influence space platform architecture, design, testing, and operations — ensuring all systems meet rigorous performance and operational requirements. You will provide technical oversight to vendors and suppliers, driving the successful delivery of future satellite clusters aligned with HawkEye 360’s strategic goals.

As the Senior Systems Engineer, your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead the development and execution of space platform architecture strategy for our next generation of RF collection payloads.
• Support constellation system designs and systems engineering efforts, ensuring all space platforms meet design, performance, and operational requirements.
• Facilitate collection, analysis, and flow-down of customer and mission requirements into mission and subsystem, and unit-level specifications.
• Support requirements collections from customers and product team, and flow-down those requirements to mission, sub-system, and unit-level.
• Conduct SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) analysis and perform link budget calculations to ensure performance and compliance with mission requirements.
• Develop, review, and maintain detailed design documentation, interface control documents (ICDs), test plans, and procedures across spacecraft subsystems.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight of vendors and spacecraft bus suppliers to ensure delivery of high-quality, mission-ready satellite clusters.
• Provide systems engineering support on proposal and capture efforts ensuring alignment on technical capabilities and mission goals.
• Drive the company’s strategy for vertical integration of small satellite production, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and performance.

Your skills and qualifications:
Essential education and experience:

• 7 years professional experience in the satellite industry or related aerospace fields
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading systems engineering efforts on small satellite programs, including requirements flow-down, design, integration, test, and operations.
• Proficiency in at least one high-level programming language (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for data analysis and modeling.
• Experience with CAD (Solidworks, NX)
• Hands-on experience with spacecraft mission analysis tools such as STK, GMAT, OREKit, or FreeFlyer.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.

Desirable:​​​​​​

• Experience handling expensive electronic components (ESD and Cleanroom best practices).
• Experience with environmental testing (Thermal and Vacuum Chambers, Vibe Tables, EMI/EMC.)
• Experience with Printed Circuit Board design using Altium.
• Familiarity with orbital mechanics and/or attitude dynamics
• Experience writing technical documentation such as formal requirements, design documents, RFI’s, white papers, and proposals.
• Experience with RF electronics, and RF lab equipment (Spectrum Analyzers, Network Analyzers, Signal Generators, etc.)
• Experience with optical terminals, constellation mesh networks, satellite relay systems

Base Salary Range: $150,000 - $180,000 annually

HawkEye 360 offers a compensation package that includes a competitive base salary plus annual performance bonus and benefits. We consider many factors when determining salary offers, such as candidate's work experience, education, training & skills, as well as market and business considerations. We are also open to considering candidates with experience and qualifications at a different level than required in a job posting, which may affect the compensation package offered.

Company Overview:
HawkEye 360 is delivering a revolutionary source of global knowledge based on radio frequency (RF) geospatial analytics to those working to make the world a safer place. The company operates a commercial satellite constellation that detects, geolocates, and identifies a broad range of signals & behaviors. We employ cutting edge AI techniques to equip our global customers with high-impact insights needed to make decisions with confidence. HawkEye 360 is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.

HawkEye 360 is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

To all recruitment agencies: HawkEye 360 does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, HawkEye 360 employees or any other organization location. HawkEye 360 is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Salary : $150,000 - $180,000