Senior Technical Program Manager, Capella Space
$121.9-161.6k
Must be a U.S. citizen
Earth observation satellites & intelligence
Job no longer available
Earth observation satellites & intelligence
201-500 employees
Job no longer available
$121.9-161.6k
Must be a U.S. citizen
201-500 employees
Company mission
To enable a richer understanding of our planet through the power of SAR technology.
Role
Who you are
- If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and help solve problems that others call impossible—we're the place for you
- 8+ years of relevant engineering and program management experience with a bachelor’s degree or 5+ years with a master’s degree in engineering, systems, or a related technical discipline
- Proficiency in project management software tools and collaboration platforms such as MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, and Confluence
- Experience with Jira/Agile management
- Proven ability to manage technical development and/or R&D scope
- Experience building and supporting ground segment infrastructure and operations preferred
- 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
What the job involves
- We are seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead the planning and execution of complex, high-impact programs as well as a portfolio of projects that drive the advancement of our ground segment technology program
- You will be responsible for leading cross-functional engineering teams, managing full program lifecycle execution including schedule, budget, risk, and maintaining a portfolio adjacent projects
- You will serve as a trusted leader to cross-functional teams, bringing deep domain expertise, sound judgment, and a track record of delivering complex programs in the aerospace domain
- Ground segment programs includes earth-based infrastructure, facilities and operations to support the space mission
- This is an exciting opportunity to join a mission-driven team and make a direct impact on major company initiatives
- Define the overall program plan for large-scale ground segment focused program, including scope, milestones, and delivery timelines
- Align ground segment development activities with broader satellite mission operations and customer commitments
- Drive execution across multiple projects within the program (e.g., mission planning, tasking interfaces, downlink infrastructure, data processing pipelines)
- Break down high-level requirements into projects/workstreams
- Establish success criteria for operational readiness and customer delivery
- Coordinate across engineering disciplines (Satellite Ops, Tasking, Platform applications, SAR processing)
- Own and maintain the integrated master schedule (IMS)
- Identify risks and lead mitigation strategies
- Drive decision-making on trade-offs between scope, schedule, and resources
- Guide software teams developing mission operations software, APIs, and updates to tasking console
- Oversee infrastructure teams deploying antennas, networking, and cloud-based processing/distribution
- Oversee the rollout of new ground capabilities into live operations
- Ensure continuity of operations during cutover from legacy systems to new ground segment
- Document lessons learned and established processes for long-term sustainment
Our take
Earth observation, in the form of satellite imagery, is in high demand. With climate change, supply chain, and defense operations all requiring high-quality observation data, the race is on to provide the clearest, most timely images - and Capella Space is one private company leading the charge.
Capella Space commands a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation in low-earth orbit that clients can use to access real-time visibility of facts on the ground. As the first US company to do this, it's won a leading slate of customers that include the US National Reconnaissance Office, the US Air Force, Geospatial and RSI.
As the urgency of addressing global issues increases, the demand for Capella Space’s services is almost certain to rise. This puts the company in a great position, having already established itself as a key player in the market. In 2025, Capella Space was acquired by IonQ, which will be integrating Capella’s satellite infrastructure with its quantum technology to create a space-based QKD network.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
11% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Jan 2023
$60m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Apr 2022
$97m
SERIES C
Total funding: $234m
Company benefits
- Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Parental leave program
- Flexible Paid Time Off policy
- Commuter and parking benefits
- Mental health resources
- Monthly phone stipend
- 401K Plan
- Dog-friendly work environment & pet insurance options
Company HQ
Mission District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Frank Backes
(CEO)President at IonQ as well as President, Founder and Director at Space ISAC. Formerly Senior Business Consultant at Modern Technology Solutions and SVP of Kratos Space Federal at Kratos Defense and Security Solutions.
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