Lead Systems Engineer - Systems Engineering

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

The Integrated Solutions Business Unit is hiring a Lead Systems Engineer to serve as the technical center of gravity for our Tactical Mission Fabric (TMF) program.  This is a hands-on systems engineering leadership role, not a pure management seat and not a requirements-analysis-only role. You will personally lead the integration of cloud, network, security, and cryptographic subsystems into a unified, accredited platform; author the IaC that deploys it; and own integration outcomes end to end while setting the technical bar for the engineers around you.  We're looking for a senior engineer ready for a formal leadership step: someone who has already led through technical influence and cross-functional ownership, and who is ready to formally lead a team for the first time, or who has begun leading and wants broader scope.

The day-to-day

• End-to-End Platform Integration: Integrate AWS GovCloud multi-account infrastructure, SD-WAN overlay, MPLS underlay, NGFW boundary security, and cryptographic solutions into a single accredited I/NaaS. Own the seams between subsystems.
• IaC-First Engineering: Author Terraform modules and Ansible AWX playbooks for all TMF deployments. Every change goes through GitLab CI/CD with peer review.
• AWS Architecture at Scale: Design and operate multi-account architectures including Organizations, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect Gateway, PrivateLink, and VPC topologies supporting multi-tenant isolation.
• SD-WAN and Network Integration: Own design and integration of the SD-WAN overlay, BGP routing (including EVPN/VXLAN), IPsec tunnel engineering, and enterprise firewall HA pairs at every ingress and egress zone.
• Requirements, Architecture, V&V: Run the V-Model lifecycle on TMF deliverables (SRR, PDR, CDR), maintain the RTM, define subsystem interfaces, and execute verification and validation against mission needs.
• Security and Compliance Engineering: Map configurations to NIST 800-53 Rev 5 and 800-171, engineer telemetry into the SIEM, apply STIG and CIS hardening, and produce SSP artifacts that hold up to FedRAMP and CMMC Level 2 scrutiny.
• Integration Risk Management: Identify cross-domain failure points early, develop mitigation plans, and make trade-off calls visible to engineering and program leadership.
• Set and enforce standards for SE deliverables, integration quality, and IaC discipline across the TMF team and the broader Integrated Solutions portfolio.
• Mentor systems engineers across experience levels; run technical and code reviews that raise the team's bar.
• Translate between network engineering, cloud engineering, security, program management, and customer stakeholders.
• Own SE and platform outcomes across multiple tenants and programs, not only the ones you personally execute.
• Grow into formal team leadership: partner with the Director on direction, hiring, and resource allocation, with a clear path to direct people management.

What you'll need

• Hands-on Terraform module authoring with disciplined GitOps practice at production scale
• AWS hands-on experience: VPC, IAM, security groups, EC2, S3, and multi-account patterns
• Deep IP networking expertise: TCP/IP, BGP (including EVPN), OSPF, IPsec, and SD-WAN overlay design
• Hands-on V-Model lifecycle experience on government contract deliverables (SRR, PDR, CDR)
• Demonstrated leadership impact as an individual contributor: standing up a technical capability, mentoring engineers, leading a technical workstream, or sustained cross-functional technical leadership
• Readiness to step into a formal leadership billet with a path to direct people management
• 8+ years systems engineering or systems integration in defense, federal, SATCOM, or telecom environments
• Bachelor's in EE, CS, Telecom, or related technical field
• US Citizenship required
• Active DoD Secret clearance required.
• Ability to travel up to 10%

What will help you on the job

Strongly Preferred (90-Day Ramp)

• AWS multi-account architecture at scale: Organizations, SCPs, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, PrivateLink, landing zone design
• Hands-on SD-WAN configuration (Cisco Viptela, Juniper SSR, Viasat NetAgility, or equivalent)
• AWS GovCloud-specific experience
• Ansible / AWX playbook development
• GitLab CI/CD pipeline ownership
• Theoretical and operational understanding of network technologies to include dynamic routing protocols, VXLAN, MACsec, MPLS, IPsec/tunneling, and other common L2/L3 protocols
• Network Architecture and Design familiarity using Cisco, Junos, and Palo Alto
• MBSE tooling (Cameo/MagicDraw, Enterprise Architect, DOORS)
• FedRAMP Moderate, NIST 800-53 Rev 5, 800-171
• DoD 8140/8570 IASAE Level II (CISSP or CASP+), or able to obtain within 6 months
• Prior formal people management or technical lead experience
• Active DoD Secret clearance currently held
• Direct experience with US Government and DoD customers (USAF, USMC, Army, or Special Operations)

Preferred (Accelerators)

• DevSecOps experience in a defense acquisition environment
• OpenSearch or other SIEM rule development
• Identity stack: AWS Managed AD, NPS/RADIUS, SAML/OIDC, PrivacyIDEA or equivalent MFA
• STIG and CIS hardening hands-on
• AWS WorkSpaces in STIG-hardened configurations
• Type 1 encryption and HAIPE device integration
• TS/SCI clearance currently held
• SATCOM systems integration
• Edge cloud / forward compute architecture

Salary range

$177,500.00 - $280,000.00 / 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 $220,500.00- $330,500.00/ 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.