SATCOM Systems Engineer

About us

At Viasat, the work you do helps people stay connected in ways that matter, from everyday moments to critical missions across air, land, sea, and space.

We’re a place for people who are curious, bold, and motivated by meaningful work. Here, you'll have the opportunity to make an impact, explore new possibilities, and grow your career in ways that align with your interests and goals. When you're ready to take on something new, you'll find leaders who support your development and help you turn your ambition into action.

What you'll do

We are seeking an experienced SATCOM Systems Engineer to lead the design, development, and integration of advanced satellite communications solutions! In this role, you will be responsible for driving system architecture, defining requirements, and ensuring performance across complex, multi-disciplinary programs.  The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, strong multi-functional leadership, and a proven ability to delivery high-reliability satcom solutions.

The day-to-day

System Architecture & Design

• Develop and own the end-to-end system architecture for communications solutions.
• Evaluate architecture trades, assess performance impacts, and define optimal system configurations to meet mission and business objectives.
• Create and maintain high-level system diagrams, interface definitions, and technical baselines.

Requirements Engineering

• Lead the development, decomposition, and management of system requirements across all program phases.
• Translate customer, regulatory, and mission needs into clear, verifiable requirements.
• Define and manage interfaces between subsystems, vendors, and multi-functional engineering teams
• Establish and maintain requirements traceability from concept through verification and validation

Technical Leadership & Integration

• Serve as a technical authority and mentor for engineering teams, providing guidance on architecture, design decisions, and system performance.
• Lead engineering design reviews and present system approaches to internal partners, customers, and leadership.

Program & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Support proposal development, technical estimates, and customer-facing documentation.
• Communication complex engineering concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences

What you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience in satcom, telecommunications, aerospace, or related high-complexity systems
• Expertise in systems architecture and requirements development
• Experience with systems engineering tools (eg JAMA, DOORS, Cameo)
• Excellent problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical efforts
• Capable of engaging with internal and external Subject Matter Experts on technical problems, trade-offs, and solutions
• Ability to work out of our Carlsbad, CA, Germantown, MD office or remote 
• US citizenship required
• Must be able to obtain a United States Secret Clearance
• Travel is up to 10%

What will help you on the job

• Experience with GEO, MEO, and/or LEO satellite systems
• Waveform design experience
• Background in modeling and simulation (eg MATLAB)
• Relevant industry certification experience for environmental and system performance (MIL-STD, WGS)
• Experience with technical product development, project lifecycle, and product management (Requirements development, achievement reviews, testing, documentation, customer acceptance, etc.)

#LI-VSAT 

Salary range

$120,500.00 - $190,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $149,500.00- $224,500.00/ annually



At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.
EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.