Associate SATCOM Systems Engineer

ADP, Inc.; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Inmarsat Government seeks an experienced SATCOM Systems Engineer in Reston, VA to translate operational needs into technical concepts and prototype terminal solutions. The role requires hands-on testing, vendor coordination, and seamless hand-off to the core engineering team for productization.

You will work with RF bench equipment, assess GEO/LEO satellite deployments, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams while maintaining strong communication and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or STEM field.
• At least 3 years of engineering experience in design, integration and testing of communication systems.
• Proficiency in SATCOM, GEO/LEO, and mobile satellite deployments.
• Hands-on with RF bench equipment and modem configurations.
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix, networking basics, and scripting.
• Strong communication and cross-team collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to define system requirements.
• Envision, design, scope, research, and prototype satellite terminal concepts.
• Prepare technical specs and SOWs for external vendors; track deliverables.
• Set up and document bench-level and over-the-air tests for new hardware.
• Evaluate systems using RF test equipment and compare to link budgets.
• Package concepts for hand-off to core engineering for productization.

Skills

SATCOM engineering

Networking fundamentals

Linux/Unix scripting

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or STEM

Tools

MATLAB

STK

Python

Excel

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Full-time Regular Reston, VA 20191, Reston, VA, US

3 days ago Requisition ID: 1229

Key Responsibilities:

• Requirements Gathering: Collaborate with internal teams, external stakeholders, and customers to translate operational needs and market trends into technical concepts.
• Concept & Prototyping: Envision, design, scope, research, acquire, and build prototype L-band user terminals and supporting network topologies.
• Vendor & Outsource Management: Author technical specification documents and statement of work (SOW) requirements for outside vendors; manage vendor timelines and deliverables when prototyping is executed externally.
• Testing & Validation: Set up, execute, and document bench-level and over the air test configurations to validate new user terminal hardware and network architectures.
• System Evaluation: Utilize RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters) to measure signal quality, gain, and frequency response, correlating real-world bench data against theoretical link budgets.
• Core Hand-off: Package successful proof-of-concepts, test data, and architectural designs to seamlessly transition projects to the core engineering team for formal productization.

Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering or STEM discipline.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of engineering experience in communication systems design, integration, and testing.
• SATCOM Expertise: Proficiency in satellite systems engineering, including the integration and deployment of mobile satellite systems; knowledge of GEO and LEO orbit satellite communications.
• Hardware & Testing: Hands-on experience configuring engineering-model modems, executing initial system bring-up, and using standard RF bench equipment.
• Networking Fundamentals: Familiarity with IP routing basics (IP addressing, subnet masks, gateways, DHCP Client/Server, and VLAN tagging).
• LINUX Familiarization: Foundational knowledge of Linux/Unix operating systems (CLI tools, file management, and basic shell scripting).
• Soft Skills: Strong interpersonal communication skills with a proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication capabilities to support technical reporting, vendor coordination, and team presentations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Emerging Tech: Exposure to or familiarization with 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and New Radio (NR) standards, including hybrid satellite-terrestrial conceptual design.
• Software & Modeling: Experience with modeling software such as MATLAB, STK (Systems Tool Kit), Python for data analysis, or advanced Excel link budgets.

Inmarsat Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer