Lead Systems Engineer - SATCOM

Peraton; Maryland; On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Heavily subsidized employee benefits

25 days PTO

Eligibility for a bonus plan

Job summary

A leading defense contractor in Maryland is seeking a deeply technical Lead Engineer to serve as the technical authority for an Operations & Maintenance program supporting SATCOM infrastructure and global mobility communications. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of Top Secret clearance, a Bachelor's degree, and extensive experience in systems and network engineering. This role includes responsibilities for ensuring system architecture, cybersecurity compliance, and the integration of SATCOM capabilities across various environments. Attractive benefits and a bonus plan are included.

Qualifications

• Minimum of Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree and 12+ years of experience in systems engineering.
• 10+ years of experience supporting DoD SATCOM systems.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of the full engineering lifecycle across SATCOM gateway systems.
• Ensure interoperability, redundancy, and high availability across systems.
• Accountable for cybersecurity engineering and compliance.

Skills

Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility

Systems engineering

Network engineering

Software engineering

DoD SATCOM experience

IAM Level III certification

DoD cybersecurity frameworks

Enterprise network infrastructure

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Tools

Nagios

Python

AWS GovCloud

Oracle

Job description

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. Contract requires TS/SCI. The candidate must maintain the clearance
• Bachelor’s degree and 12+ years of experience in systems engineering, network engineering, software engineering, or systems integration, 10+ years experience with Masters.
• 10+ years of engineering experience supporting DoD SATCOM, LEO/MEO/GEO systems, or global communications infrastructure
• 10+ years in senior or lead engineering roles within complex, mission-critical environments
• IAM Level III certification (CISSP, CASP+, CISM, or equivalent)
• Strong experience with DoD cybersecurity frameworks (RMF, STIGs, IAVA, ACAS, HBSS, SCAP, POA&M)
• Experience with SATCOM gateway systems and architectures, including Iridium or similar technologies
• Experience with configuration management and lifecycle sustainment across OS, firmware, and hardware platforms (Linux, Windows, ESXi, network devices)
• Experience with enterprise network infrastructure (Cisco, Palo Alto, F5, etc.)
• Experience with monitoring and ITSM tools (Nagios, ScienceLogic SL1/EM7, Remedy)
• Experience integrating multi-vendor systems across cloud, SATCOM, and enterprise environments
• Experience supporting high-availability systems with strict uptime requirements (≥99.9%)

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering or related technical field
• Prior experience with BIWF or similar gateway architectures (e.g., Ericsson AXE-810, 5ESS, soft switch platforms)
• Direct experience with Iridium services (RUDICS, DTCS-GS, SBD/eSBD, IMEI tracking)
• Experience with AWS GovCloud or cloud-based architectures
• Experience developing or maintaining custom tools (Python, JavaScript, C#, .NET, etc.)
• Experience with Oracle, PostgreSQL, or MySQL database administration
• Familiarity with COMSEC operations (ISM/ISM2, STE, TACLANE, keying procedures)
• Experience with orbital/link analysis tools (e.g., STK)
• Familiarity with T1/E1 infrastructure and feeder link terminal performance monitoring
• Experience evaluating and integrating emerging LEO/MSS technologies

Benefits

Peraton offers enhanced benefits to employees working on this critical National Security program, which include heavily subsidized employee benefits coverage for you and your dependents, 25 days of PTO accrued annually up to a generous PTO cap and eligible to participate in an attractive bonus plan

Peraton is seeking a deeply technical Lead Engineer that will serve as the technical authority for an Operations & Maintenance program supporting SATCOM infrastructure and global mobility communications. This person will be responsible for overall system architecture, engineering lifecycle management, cybersecurity posture, and integration of SATCOM and enterprise infrastructure capabilities. This role functions as the chief integrator across network engineering, cybersecurity, software/systems engineering, and operations to ensure mission performance and system resiliency.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of the full engineering lifecycle across SATCOM gateway systems, baseband infrastructure (BIWF), and associated enterprise services.
• Ensures interoperability, redundancy, and high availability (≥99.9%) across all systems while guiding modernization efforts and transition to emerging LEO/MEO satellite architectures.
• Accountable for cybersecurity engineering and compliance, including RMF accreditation, PPSM, IAVA remediation, STIG implementation, and POA&M management. The Lead Engineer operates with IAM Level III authority and ensures all engineering activities align with DoD security requirements.
• Lead configuration management and change control processes, including governance of the Configuration Control Board (CCB) for hardware, firmware, and software updates.
• Oversee system upgrades, regression testing, root cause analysis, and lifecycle sustainment across multi-vendor environments.
• Drive integration of monitoring and tooling platforms (e.g., Nagios, ScienceLogic SL1), supports development of internal tools, and ensures visibility into system performance and operational health. The role also oversees database environments and provisioning systems supporting SATCOM services (e.g., RUDICS, DTCS, SBD/eSBD).
• Evaluation and integration of emerging MSS/LEO technologies (e.g., Starlink, OneWeb), development of technology insertion roadmaps, and support to transition-in activities including system baselining, inventory, and sustainment planning.
• The Lead Engineer ensures continuity of BIWF lab operations, supports geographically distributed engineering teams, and maintains documentation including engineering design artifacts, technical analysis reports, and system diagrams.

***This position is contingent upon award of contract***