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In his job at ICEYE US, Alvah Bickner (AE ’18) says that his main tasks are finding out what customers want out of their products, adjusting the products in ways that align with the company’s long-term goals, and acting as the main interface between the sales and engineering teams.

Bickner was previously a NASA flight orbit engineer, focusing on orbital mechanics and satellite planning.

He says moving to ICEYE US, initially as a sales engineer and now as a data product manager, allowed him to use his engineering skills in new ways while also working more directly with customers and helping them solve their problems.

“I use my high-level knowledge of spacecraft dynamics mixed with business and long-term market strategy analysis, which I actually attribute to the [Interprofessional Projects Program] courses,” he says.

Bickner joined Illinois Tech as a transfer student from Joliet Junior College, noting that he was attracted to the engineering program’s reputation, the university’s location in �鶹APP, and the ease of the transfer process.

He recalls the close-knit community of his department fondly, attributing Illinois Tech’s small class sizes to the social atmosphere.

“Everyone wanted to help each other, and we were all focused on becoming the best engineers we could be together,” he says.

Bickner notes that his Illinois Tech courses emphasized problem solving by thinking outside of the box and learning how to align priorities and collaborate when working in groups. He says these skills made him feel ahead of the curve when he entered the workforce, and he continues to use them to this day.

“Because of this, I have been able to solve problems in more creative and efficient ways than some of my coworkers in many instances…and I have been able to work more effectively and efficiently as part of a team. This is extremely important in post-college careers,” he says.

In his current role, Bickner conducts many customer interviews and then considers product adjustments based on this feedback, evaluating which options make sense from a business standpoint. He must communicate with many teams, including the engineering and sales teams, keeping everyone aligned on the same vision and timeline.

“Learning how we can improve our products or finding new markets to introduce our products into is exciting,” says Bickner. “It’s never the same thing every day, as there’s always something new to improve or a question to double click on.”

Bickner says working at ICEYE US has been an excellent fit for him, and he hopes to continue working his way up the ranks.

“I have found the perfect niche for me as a product manager: it allows me to talk to customers, learn about the business and revenue aspect of a company, and still use my engineering knowledge all while working in space,” he says. “My current company, ICEYE US, is a fast-growing business, and I hope to continue to grow in their ranks into a director of product and higher levels of product leadership.”