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Starfish Space is a venture-backed satellite servicing company founded in 2019 that has raised over $150M and operates the Otter servicing vehicle for geostationary and low Earth orbit satellite missions. The company serves commercial and government customers including SES, the U.S. Space Force, the Space Development Agency, and NASA.
As VP of Mission Engineering, you will lead the technical strategy and execution of satellite servicing missions, operating at the intersection of business development and engineering. You will translate customer opportunities into technically sound, executable mission plans while ensuring alignment with Starfish's capabilities and constraints.
Key responsibilities include developing engineering work plans and execution strategies for commercial and government opportunities, evaluating technical feasibility and program decisions in collaboration with Business Development and Engineering teams, reviewing and approving mission-related engineering analyses, validating technical scope/schedule/pricing before customer proposals, and serving as a technical liaison with customers on critical decisions.
You will work across the full lifecycle of mission opportunities from initial engagement through on-orbit execution in a fast-paced startup environment. The role requires balancing customer value delivery with technical and schedule feasibility.
Required qualifications: U.S. citizen or permanent resident, 10+ years of relevant aerospace/satellite experience, B.S. in relevant field, ability to thrive in startup environments, and willingness to work from Tukwila, WA. ITAR compliance required.
Preferred experience includes systems engineering, orbital dynamics, hardware engineering, aerospace program planning/execution, work with commercial satellite operators or U.S. government space customers, and strong communication and problem-solving skills.
