About Spire

Spire Global is a leading provider of space-based data, analytics, and services, helping organizations make better decisions with insights from our constellation of satellites. We are committed to operational excellence, compliance, and maintaining the highest standards of internal control.

As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for the technical outcome of complex space missions. During mission contracting and requirements development, you may work with the sales engineering org to ensure mission requirements are valid and mission scope is adequately defined. Systems Engineers translate higher level requirements down to lower-level requirements, consulting and collaborating with discipline team-leads and subject matter experts where necessary.  

You will be the overall technical lead responsible for "building the right thing" and "building it right". This will include the management of system requirements, technical budgets, and sub-system interfaces.  Your responsibility extends to ensuring there is sufficient verification and testing of the system, and you will take ownership of the technical performance outcomes for the mission. You will be the mission's technical lead for both Spire-internal and external (customer, contractor, etc) teams, working collaboratively with others to resolve technical discrepancies in requirements, specifications, or system performance. 

You will also act as the technical point of contact for Spire's global customers during mission development phases and through on-orbit validation of the space systems, working with Spire project and program managers to provide effective communication where required. 

Your knowledge and experience working across multiple technical disciplines will help you coordinate Spire's technical efforts to ensure ultimate mission success. 

Role Responsibilities:

• Take overall technical ownership of Spire Space and/or Ground Systems from technical development through on-orbit verification; ensure that we are "building the right thing" and “building it right”.
• Lead requirements management for a given mission or program - including development, validation, verification, and change management.
• Lead technical risk management for a given mission or program - including identification, qualification, mitigation, and resolution.
• Develop top-level requirements and then flow-down to lower-levels, consulting and collaborating with discipline team-leads and subject matter experts where necessary.
• Serve as the primary Spire technical POC to customers and contractors - communicating and advocating on behalf of internal technical teams where necessary.
• Serve as the customer's technical representative to Spire-internal teams - communicating and sometimes advocating for customer requirements, expectations, and experiences.
• Develop working knowledge of Spire's satellite platforms, operations systems, and payloads (both Spire and customer-developed) - including customer APIs and software service interfaces.
• Proactively communicate to program/project managers where changes in scope, requirements, expected system performance, or development outcomes impact the mission.
• Develop, deliver, and maintain mission documentation required to support programs or missions, including both internal and external (customer- or contractor-facing) documentation.
• Support the sales engineering team in the development of technical concepts and budgets, feasibility assessments, requirements, scope, and documentation needed during the sales cycle.

Basic Qualifications:

• BSc in Engineering, Computer Science, equivalent STEM-related subject, or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years of experience working in a technical engineering discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Controls, RF Communications, etc) or as a systems engineer for complex integrated systems.
• Comprehensive understanding of space systems, concepts of operations, and remote systems operation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience as a space systems engineer working across engineering disciplines (Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Controls, Radio/Comms, etc)
• Experience developing or integrating RF and optical payloads.
• Experience participating in architecture and design of digital systems including ground station networks, data distribution and data processing systems, and spacecraft data handling systems
• Experience coordinating or leading diverse technical teams spanning multiple engineering disciplines and time zones
• Strong interpersonal skills for building relationships with clients and effectively communicating with other members of cross-functional teams
• Strong comprehension skills to enable timely understanding of complex customer requirements and identification of thorough and sometimes unique solutions
• Experience in satellite mission design, development, and testing with a clear understanding of major mission design trades and scope drivers (power / payload duty cycle, communications systems / data budgets, ground stations, launch and environmental loads, EMI/EMC, thermal management, etc.)

Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office.

Access to US export-controlled software and/or technology may be required for this role. If needed, Spire will arrange the necessary licenses—this is not something candidates need to have before applying. _#LI-MK1

What You'll Do: 

As a Senior Sales Engineer focused on our Space Services offering, you will join a growing team responsible for providing unique space-based solutions to the commercial market. You will engage directly with the Spire Account Executives and customer base to understand operational requirements, qualify opportunities, and design space-driven solutions. You will collaborate closely with the satellite architect and engineering colleagues and to develop customer-driven solutions that leverage Spire’s small satellite platforms, payloads, and global infrastructure.    

The role of Senior Sales Engineer requires a deep understanding of challenges of building, launching and operating small satellites. With an emphasis on our Space Services offering, you will build intimate knowledge of the Spire satellite subsystems, payload capabilities, and system interfaces critical to customers seeking to deploy systems onto our network. Successful candidates will have a broad and deep technical experience designing space systems along with strong communications skills and the ability to thrive in a customer focused environment. The role involves supporting business winning campaigns on commercial and government business, owning the technical requirements negotiation and ensuring that the customer mission objectives can be achieved with the offered solution. This role will be the senior technical representative of the company to our customers and will be comfortable presenting on different levels in high pressure situations.    

• Work as a senior expert within a team to support sales discussions with Space Services customers, assess requirements and design the best possible solutions.
• Serve as the primary technical POC for the Space Services customer throughout the sales cycle.
• Lead the preparation and delivery of technical presentations and reports explaining Spire’s products and services to prospective customers. 
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts within the organization to assess feasibility of customer-driven solutions, refine scope and technical details of complex space mission programs, and generally represent the voice and requirements of the customer within the organization throughout the sales cycle.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the sales and internal engineering teams and provide routine product updates and training to the sales staff and other sales engineers.
• Lead the development of technical proposals and generating or sourcing technical content specific to the customer’s application or problem set in a timely manner to ensure customer deadlines and sales objectives are met.
• Work closely with the sales team to identify gaps in current capabilities to drive the technology roadmap and enhance the product offering. 
• Support initial Space Services program execution through the System Requirements Review, providing systems engineering support to document customer requirements and ensure a seamless transition from sales to execution.   

Who You Are: 

You are a seasoned technical professional with experience in customer-facing roles, bringing expertise in satellite mission design, development, and testing. With a strong engineering background in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, or systems disciplines—or equivalent technical experience—you excel at understanding complex customer requirements and delivering innovative solutions. Your exceptional communication and presentation skills allow you to effectively engage with stakeholders on different levels. Proficient in satellite design, orbital simulation tools like AGI STK, and satellite-based remote sensing, you have a clear grasp of mission design trades, RF spectrum considerations, and payload capabilities. You thrive in cross-functional environments, leveraging your technical expertise and interpersonal skills to build strong relationships and drive mission success. 

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant Engineering (e.g. Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems), Computer Science, Physics, or equivalent combination of technical and work experience.
• Experience in satellite mission design, development, and testing with a clear understanding of major mission design trades and scope drivers (power / payload duty cycle, communications systems / data budgets, ground stations, launch and environmental loads, EMI/EMC, thermal management, etc.).
• Knowledge of satellite design and orbital simulation software (e.g., AGI STK).
• Familiarity with satellite-based remote sensing and Earth observations techniques.
• Familiarity with the radio frequency (RF) spectrum, specifically related to RF payload receivers.
• Experience writing technical reports and proposals.
• Experience presenting technical content to senior level management.
• Experience in a customer-facing technical role.
• Strong interpersonal skills for building relationships with clients and effectively communicating with other members of cross-functional teams.
• Strong comprehension skills to enable timely understanding of complex customer requirements and identification of thorough and sometimes unique solutions. 

Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office.

Access to US export-controlled software and/or technology may be required for this role. If needed, Spire will arrange the necessary licenses—this is not something candidates need to have before applying. #LI-MI1