Vice President of Software Engineering, Capella Space

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing high-reliability, mission-critical systems
• Proven experience in designing, building, and scaling complex cloud-based software systems
• Deep knowledge of cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), microservices, distributed systems, and containerized applications
• Strong understanding of high-availability systems, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, and incident management
• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD, and automation tools for large-scale cloud infrastructure
• Fluency in the correct patterns of multiple-software team interactions, including sharing codebases, managing dependencies, and coordinated deployments
• Experience building and operating cloud-based software systems
• Experience operating and owning 24/7 high reliability, secure, operational systems with regional/global footprint
• Strong hands-on software background around distributed software systems
• Complex compute and large data storage/systems
• Understanding of trends in cloud and on-premises systems, software, technologies
• Ability to set a long-term strategic vision for an advanced, highly automated, mission critical platform
• Experience staffing, delivering, and supporting software solutions – forks and extensions of singleton SaaS systems
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a proven track record of building, leading, and scaling high-performance engineering teams
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders
• Ability to handle ambiguity, make strategic decisions, and manage complex technical initiatives
• Ability and willingness to work in a dynamic startup environment with some level of uncertainty and change
• Ability to obtain a US security clearance

Desirable

• 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
• In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the design, development, and operation of our cloud-based automated constellation operations system, comprising the entire ground segment, including data transport, storage, processing and delivery, customer interfaces & APIs, automated constellation tasking & scheduling, GNC & orbit control, and satellite operations
• In addition, you will develop strategy for & guide software solution delivery efforts, including customer specific ground stations & international satellite system operations & support
• You will lead a growing team of software engineers, system architects, and satellite operators, and set the strategic direction for our platform development in alignment with the company’s vision
• This is a high-impact role that will have a direct influence on the technical direction, performance and reliability of our services that power our constellation of earth observation satellites
• This role holds a leadership position within Capella Space, and you will be expected to contribute to the overall company strategy definition and effectively communicate with key stakeholders, both internal & external
• Lead and mentor a high-performing team responsible for the architecture, development, and operation of 24/7, mission-critical cloud software
• Direct system architects to define the future state of the mission critical platform
• Define and drive the strategic vision for software engineering across the company, focusing on reliability, scalability, and satellite constellation performance
• Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure software engineering goals align with broader business objectives and mission requirements
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across all software development efforts
• Lead the development and deployment of cloud-based software systems that meet high standards for high reliability, security, and performance
• Oversee the engineering of complex, real-time, and mission-critical systems
• Ensure the systems meet strict reliability and uptime requirements to support operations 24/7
• Oversee the architecting and scaling of cloud infrastructure to support the growth of mission-critical applications while ensuring high availability, security, and performance
• Collaborate with cloud providers and internal DevOps teams to maintain a cloud infrastructure that can support continuous monitoring and optimization
• Oversee the mission success, safety, and performance of our constellation of earth observation satellites
• Direct LEOP & commissioning activities, both for the Capella constellation & customer constellations
• Develop & operate orbit control & formation flying projects & systems
• Work closely with product management, operations, the PMO, and other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of software solutions with hardware systems and mission operations
• Partner with DevOps and SRE teams to ensure automated deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting for cloud applications
• Champion the implementation of rigorous software testing and validation processes to ensure the software’s operational reliability and compliance with aerospace industry standards
• Ensure that software development processes meet relevant compliance and regulatory standards, including ITAR & CMMC – in collaboration with the in-house security & compliance teams
• Build, mentor, and scale the software engineering team to meet the demands of complex & distributed software projects, including forward deployed systems & solutions
• Promote a growth-oriented, inclusive culture that attracts, develops, and retains top-tier engineering talent
• Provide hands-on leadership and guidance on complex software engineering challenges