Business Development Engineer - Mission Systems

Viasat; Rhode Island; On-site; USD 121,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a mid- to senior-level engineer to drive technical capture and growth across programs. The role sits at the junction of engineering, strategy, and customer engagement and focuses on shaping technical solutions that meet customer needs while aligning with company capabilities and long-term business goals.

The successful candidate will be technically credible across multiple domains, adept at presenting complex ideas, and able to lead from white papers through proposals and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Software, Systems, or related field).
• 5-10+ years of engineering experience with increasing exposure to technical capture, proposals, or customer-facing roles.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate technical concepts and system-level solutions.
• Experience writing or significantly contributing to technical white papers and proposals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including executive-level and customer-facing presentations.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support technical capture efforts for new business opportunities from concept through proposal.
• Develop technical solution concepts and architectures that respond to customer needs, constraints, and evaluation criteria.
• Translate customer problems into executable technical approaches aligned with company strengths.
• Identify technical discriminators and areas of innovation that increase win probability.
• Author and co-author detailed technical documents, proposals, and supporting artifacts.

Skills

Technical capture

Proposal writing

Customer engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

About Us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

About Us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What You'll Do

We are seeking a mid‑ to senior‑level engineer to assist with technical capture and growth initiatives for new and existing programs! This role sits at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and customer engagement, and is responsible for shaping technical solutions that align customer needs with company capabilities and long‑term business objectives.

The ideal candidate is technically credible across multiple engineering domains, skilled at presenting complex ideas clearly, and motivated by shaping winning solutions—from early white paper concepts through full proposal submission and customer briefings.

The successful candidate will be capable of:

• High‑quality, compelling technical documents and submissions that clearly articulate differentiated technical solutions.
• Strong alignment between customer needs, proposed solutions, and company strategy.
• Effective collaboration between engineering, program management, and business development teams.
• Increased win probability through detailed technical acquisition and client interaction.
• Trusted reputation as a technically credible, customer‑focused problem solver.

The day-to-day

Technical Capture & Solution Shaping

• Lead or support technical capture efforts for new business opportunities from concept through proposal.
• Develop technical solution concepts and architectures that respond directly to customer needs, constraints, and evaluation criteria.
• Translate customer problems into compelling, executable technical approaches aligned with company strengths.
• Identify technical discriminators and areas of innovation that increase win probability.

White Papers & Proposals

• Author and co‑author detailed technical documents, proposals, and supporting artifacts (e.g., technical volumes, concept papers, slide decks).
• Work closely with Program Managers, Capture Managers, and Engineering Leads to ensure proposals are cohesive, accurate, and compliant.
• Ensure technical content is clear, persuasive, and aligned with capture strategy, budget, timeline, and risk assumptions.
• Support proposal reviews and ensure feedback is incorporated effectively.

Customer Engagement & Briefings

• Prepare and deliver technical briefings and presentations to customers, partners, and internal team members.
• Engage customers to clarify requirements, technical priorities, and evaluation drivers.
• Serve as a technical representative during customer meetings, industry days, and technical exchanges.

Business Development & Opportunity Identification

• Support identification and qualification of potential business prospects, including early customer engagement and technical assessments.
• Help assess opportunity fit within the company’s technical capabilities, capacity, and strategic priorities.
• Track emerging customer needs, technology trends, and competitive landscapes to inform capture strategy.

Partnerships & Internal Collaboration

• Assist in shaping technical partnerships and teaming approaches with internal teams and external partners.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to validate feasibility and maturity of proposed solutions.
• Ensure proposed technical approaches are executable within expected cost, schedule, and risk constraints.

Strategy Alignment

• Ensure capture activities and proposal content are aligned with business strategy, roadmap, and growth objectives.
• Provide technical feedback to gate reviews, bid/no‑bid decisions, and capture planning discussions.

What You'll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Software, Systems, or related field); advanced degree preferred.
• 5-10+ years of engineering experience with increasing exposure to technical capture, proposals, or customer‑facing roles.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate technical concepts and system‑level solutions.
• Experience writing or significantly contributing to technical white papers and proposals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including executive‑level and customer‑facing presentations.
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams in fast‑paced environments.
• Must be able to obtain a United States Top Secret/ SCI Clearance
• US citizenship required
• Ability to travel up to 50% domestically
• Must be able to work out of Carlsbad, CA or Tempe, AZ office 3 days a week

What Will Help You On The Job

• Prior experience in business development, capture management, or proposal engineering.
• Familiarity with government or commercial procurement processes (e.g., RFPs, RFIs, white paper solicitations).
• Experience working with customers in technically complex domains (e.g., sensing systems, embedded systems, software‑hardware integration).
• Ability to balance technical depth with business considerations and strategic goals.
• Currently possesses TS//SCI clearance

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.