HawkEye 360 is seeking a Principal Systems Architect to lead the development and evolution of our end-to-end architecture spanning space platforms, ground systems, data processing, and customer delivery. This senior technical leader will drive system optimization, scalability, and performance across a growing constellation and advanced mission sets, including SIGINT, space domain awareness, and real-time operations.

As the Principal Systems Architect, your main responsibilities will be:

• Document and maintain the end-to-end system architecture spanning space platforms, ground systems, data processing, and customer delivery, while driving optimization across the constellation.
• Define and track key performance metrics (e.g., latency, tasking efficiency, revisit rates, throughput) to identify bottlenecks and prioritize architectural improvements.
• Evolve the architecture to support advanced CONOPS, including real-time or near real-time latency goals, cross-platform tasking (tip-and-cue), and efficient scaling to new mission areas.
• Assess and recommend improvements in satellite design, RF payload processing, onboard/offboard algorithms, ground infrastructure, and data delivery pathways.
• Ensure the architecture adapts to emerging missions (e.g., signal intelligence, space domain awareness) and future customer needs, integrating them into long-term system roadmaps.
• Develop scalable architectural roadmaps for proliferated constellations, including satellite-to-satellite networking, mesh architectures, and distributed ground station concepts.
• Communicate architectural vision and trade-offs clearly to executives, customers, and engineering teams, balancing performance, cost, and scalability.
• Drive data-informed architectural decisions, using metrics and system analysis to justify changes, investments, and optimizations.
• Bridge near-term delivery with long-term evolution, ensuring today’s system architecture scales to meet tomorrow’s mission and customer demands.

Your skills and qualifications:Essential education and experience:

• 20+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or at least 15 years of work experience with an Advanced degree in Engineering (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) .
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead cross-organizational collaboration.
• Demonstrated Systems Engineering skills.
• Experience in developing LEO satellites and ground systems.
• Experience with SIGINT, ELINT or Related ISR Systems.
• US citizenship is required.

• Document and maintain the end-to-end system architecture spanning space platforms, ground systems, data processing, and customer delivery, while driving optimization across the constellation.
• Define and track key performance metrics (e.g., latency, tasking efficiency, revisit rates, throughput) to identify bottlenecks and prioritize architectural improvements.
• Evolve the architecture to support advanced CONOPS, including real-time or near real-time latency goals, cross-platform tasking (tip-and-cue), and efficient scaling to new mission areas.
• Assess and recommend improvements in satellite design, RF payload processing, onboard/offboard algorithms, ground infrastructure, and data delivery pathways.
• Ensure the architecture adapts to emerging missions (e.g., signal intelligence, space domain awareness) and future customer needs, integrating them into long-term system roadmaps.
• Develop scalable architectural roadmaps for proliferated constellations, including satellite-to-satellite networking, mesh architectures, and distributed ground station concepts.
• Communicate architectural vision and trade-offs clearly to executives, customers, and engineering teams, balancing performance, cost, and scalability.
• Drive data-informed architectural decisions, using metrics and system analysis to justify changes, investments, and optimizations.
• Bridge near-term delivery with long-term evolution, ensuring today’s system architecture scales to meet tomorrow’s mission and customer demands