HawkEye 360 (HE360) is seeking a detail-oriented and inquisitive Payload Reliability Analyst to join our Payload Operations and Reliability team in Herndon, Virginia. As a Payload Reliability Analyst, you will focus on the reliability and performance of our on-orbit payloads, diving into anomalous or failed collects, telemetry, and mission data to uncover the underlying causes. Working closely with the Payload Engineering and Operations teams, you will help identify trends, investigate irregularities, and communicate findings that enable rapid response and long-term improvements. The ideal candidate has a forensic mindset, a passion for finding patterns in complex data, and the persistence to trace every anomaly back to its root cause to ensure our payloads operate with the highest reliability.

As the Payload Reliability Analyst, your main responsibilities will be:

• Investigate anomalous or failed payload collects and identify patterns, trends, and root causes affecting on-orbit payload performance.
• Review and analyze payload telemetry, logs, and collected data to detect irregularities or performance degradation across payload subsystems.
• Collaborate closely with Embedded Engineers, FPGA Engineers, and Software Engineers to understand system design, testing processes, and software updates that impact payload behavior.
• Track and document recurring issues, building a knowledge base of known failure modes and contributing to the payload reliability dashboard.
• Partner with Reliability Engineers to develop metrics, reports, and reliability trends for ongoing constellation health assessments.

Your skills and qualifications:
Essential education and experience:

• A strong analytical and investigative mindset — driven by curiosity and a desire to uncover the “why” behind complex issues.
• Proven experience in forensic analysis, failure investigation, QA, mission operations, or other analytical problem-solving roles.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to detect subtle patterns or inconsistencies across large or noisy datasets.
• Ability to methodically troubleshoot issues using logs, telemetry, or other system data — or the willingness and ability to learn these skills quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to translate technical findings into clear, concise reports and recommendations.
• Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams including Embedded, FPGA, and Software Engineers to share findings and drive resolution.
• Self-motivated, organized, and able to manage multiple investigations or anomaly threads in a dynamic operational environment.
• Passion for continuous learning and for improving the reliability of complex systems.

Desirable:​​​​​​

• Familiarity with spacecraft payload systems, embedded software, or telemetry/log data analysis.
• Experience with data visualization or log-analysis tools (e.g., Grafana, Kibana, Elastic, Splunk, or similar).
• Understanding of root cause analysis and reliability engineering principles.
• Basic familiarity with scripting or data exploration tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Excel analysis).
• Prior experience supporting mission operations, reliability, or anomaly-resolution processes

Base Salary Range: $75,000 - $110,000 annually

HawkEye 360 offers a compensation package that includes a competitive base salary plus annual performance bonus and benefits. We consider many factors when determining salary offers, such as candidate's work experience, education, training & skills, as well as market and business considerations. We are also open to considering candidates with experience and qualifications at a different level than required in a job posting, which may affect the compensation package offered.

Company Overview:
HawkEye 360 is delivering a revolutionary source of global knowledge based on radio frequency (RF) geospatial analytics to those working to make the world a safer place. The company operates a commercial satellite constellation that detects, geolocates, and identifies a broad range of signals & behaviors. We employ cutting edge AI techniques to equip our global customers with high-impact insights needed to make decisions with confidence. HawkEye 360 is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.

HawkEye 360 is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

To all recruitment agencies: HawkEye 360 does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, HawkEye 360 employees or any other organization location. HawkEye 360 is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.