Senior Mission Systems Engineer

Umbra builds next-generation space systems that observe the Earth in unprecedented fidelity.

Our mission is to deliver global omniscience.

To stay ahead of climate change, geopolitical risk, and other major crises and issues, we need a global understanding of what is changing, where, and how fast. Umbra provides easy access to the highest quality commercial satellite data available, which is an indispensable tool for the growing number of organizations monitoring the Earth. We empower our customers to create the solutions that inform, inspire, and address our planet’s most pressing needs. We’re helping to create a brand new industry that has never meaningfully existed before.

Umbra is seeking a driven Mission Systems Engineer to architect and implement the next generation of ground segment systems for our Mission Solutions programs. This role is responsible for designing scalable, secure, and operationally resilient software and systems that support command, control, communications, and scheduling functions. You will play a critical role in developing and enhancing Umbra’s ground architecture—tailoring existing capabilities and introducing novel solutions to meet the evolving needs of domestic and international customers.

As a technical leader, you will guide the decomposition of requirements, system architecture design, hands-on software development, and integration across cross-functional domains. You will collaborate closely with Umbra’s Remote Sensing and Space Systems teams to deliver mission-critical products and services.

The ideal candidate is a systems thinker and a solution-focused innovator who thrives in solving complex technical challenges using sound engineering principles. Exceptional communication skills and the ability to lead in a multidisciplinary environment are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and technical implementation of Umbra’s space system ground segment product line, leveraging current and future infrastructure and technologies.
• Architect, build, test, and maintain applications that support satellite operations, including mission scheduling, spacecraft command, telemetry, and mission data pipelines, automation of spacecraft operations, and anomaly detection and response.
• Perform systems engineering and use case analysis to define and document the functional components and interfaces of end-to-end ground architecture solutions.
• Ensure alignment between company strategy, mission requirements, and product architecture, informing Umbra’s broader technical portfolio development across multiple domains.
• Present system and software solution architectures to internal stakeholders, including peers, leadership, and cross-functional partners, securing technical buy-in and ensuring architectural coherence.
• Provide software architecture expertise to cross-disciplinary teams, supporting the design of high-performance, integrated systems.
• Support business development and capture efforts as a key technical contributor, including authorship and review of formal responses and proposals for new opportunities.
• Travel up to approximately 15% may be required between Umbra facilities in California and Northern Virginia, as well as to partner and customer facilities.
• Take on other professional duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• 8-10+ years of relevant technical experience.
• 6+ years of experience with enterprise satellite ground architecture development.
• Strong leadership ability, proven to drive new technical concepts from formulation to implementation.
• Strong interpersonal ability, able to interact effectively with customer and Umbra staff.
• Experience building software to automate space operations.
• Demonstrated foundational understanding of software architecture, event-driven microservices, interface design, and automated testing patterns.
• Experience with database-backed applications and relational database concepts, preferably Postgres.
• Solid understanding of cloud and application security, access control, and identity management.
• Good communication skills, ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, and willingness to learn new skills and technology.
• Experience developing Kubernetes/Docker containerized services.
• Current security clearance or willingness and ability to acquire one.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced development environment.

Desired Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience developing highly available web services with server-side scripting languages, preferably Python.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure monitoring principles, best practices, and implementation.
• Experience designing and documenting commercial APIs with Swagger/OpenAPI.
• Experience working within an R&D environment, including prototyping and systems engineering.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options
• Free parking
• Free lunch in office daily

Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Employment Eligibility Verification

In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable. 

Pay Transparency
This job posting may cover multiple career levels. To ensure greater transparency, we provide base salary ranges for all roles, regardless of location. Our standard pay ranges are based on the role’s function and level, benchmarked against similar growth-stage companies. Compensation may vary based on geographical location, as certain regions may have different cost-of-living factors. The final offer will also be influenced by the candidate's skills, responsibilities, and relevant experience.

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range for this role is $120,000- $200,000 DOE.