Flight Connectivity Lead - Onboard Networking

Viasat; California (MD); On-site; USD 168,000 - 265,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a senior software engineering leader to drive the Connectivity Management team for the Commercial Aviation platform. You will oversee the onboard session management stack, guiding a geographically distributed team through a multi-year modernization in a production environment.

The role emphasizes hands-on engineering, strong networking, and containerized workloads, with a site-based work model requiring 60%+ in-office collaboration. A computer science degree is required.

Qualifications

• 7+ years hands-on software engineering (Go, Python, or Java) with systems programming in Linux.
• 2+ years leading a cross-functional software team in an agile/DevOps environment with distributed time zones.
• Strong networking fundamentals: DHCP, DNS, NAT, iptables, TCP/IP, Layer 3.
• Experience with distributed systems where state synchronization failures have production SLA consequences.
• Hands-on Linux, systemd, and containerized workloads (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Bachelor's degree or higher in CS, CE, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a geographically distributed team of engineers and architecture stakeholders.
• Oversee design, implementation, delivery, and production ownership of onboard connectivity services.
• Drive multi-year architectural modernization across the session management platform.
• Champion quality through automated testing to catch session-management faults before they reach aircraft.
• Drive observability initiatives, including per-component resource budgeting and structured metrics across ground systems.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure successful integration and delivery of solutions.

Skills

Software engineering

Technical leadership

Networking fundamentals

Distributed systems

Linux

Containerization

CI/CD tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub Actions

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.

What you'll do

You will lead the Connectivity Management team within Viasat's Commercial Aviation platform, responsible for the software that gets passengers and crew devices onto the network aboard commercial aircraft. Your team owns the core onboard session management stack running on the Mobility Access Server. When a passenger mobile device connects mid-flight, your software is what makes it happen.

This is a multi-year architectural modernization, not a maintenance role –you'llhelp shape how a mission-critical, resource-constrainedsystemevolvesin production.

This is a site‑based role, employees work 3+ days (60%+) per week from a Viasat office or work location within a standard five‑day workweek.

The day-to-day

• Lead and support a geographically distributed team of engineers and architecture stakeholders
• Oversee the design, implementation, delivery, and production ownership of onboard connectivity services
• Drive multi-year architectural modernization improvements across the session management platform
• Champion quality through automated testing to catch session-management faults before they reach aircraft
• Drive observability initiatives, including per-component resource budgeting and structured metrics across ground systems
• Partner with cross-functional engineering teams and stakeholders to ensure successful integration and delivery of solutions

What you'll need

• 7+ years of hands-on software engineering(Go, Python, or Java)withsystemsprogramming in Linux
• 2+ years leading a cross-functionalsoftwareteam in an agile/DevOps, including distributed timezones
• Strong networking fundamentals: DHCP, DNS, NAT, iptables, TCP/IP, Layer ¾, etc.
• Experiencewithdistributed systems where state synchronization failures have real productionSLAconsequences
• Hands-on Linux,systemd, and containerized workloads (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field

What will help you on the job

• Protocol-level networking: AMQP/RabbitMQ, HTTP/3 / QUIC, RADIUS, DHCP option encoding
• Experience building automated integration test frameworks for distributed systems (not just unit tests)
• Experience modernizing a legacy stateful system incrementally in production (feature-flagged migration, dual-run)
• Familiarity with aviation or embedded edge platform constraints — resource-limited hardware, over-the-air software delivery, regulatoryenvironments
• CI/CD experience withGithubActions or Jenkins
• Modern AI-enhanced development workflow
  
  
  #LI-GS1

Salary range

$168,000.00 - $265,000.00 / 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 $209,000.00- $313,000.00/ 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.