Mission Support Engineer - Networking

Dover; Northern (KY); Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Somewear Labs seeks a Mission Support Engineer – Networking to lead hands-on deployments from pre-mission planning through execution and recovery. You translate mission requirements into working network architectures and enable operators to use the capability confidently in the field.

Responsibilities include on-site network readiness, pre/post mission checks, and troubleshooting using structured methods. You will train operators and provide feedback to Product and Engineering.

Qualifications

• Hands-on networking troubleshooting in field or mission-critical environments.

Responsibilities

• Own deployments from planning through execution and recovery.

Skills

Networking troubleshooting

Linux administration

Video streaming protocols

IP protocols & routing

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Tools

tcpdump

Wireshark

Job description

Mission Support Engineer – Networking

Location: Remote, with mission-driven travel. Travel volume varies considerably by season and program; we’re happy to discuss specifics with candidates.

Job Type: Full-Time

About Somewear Labs

Somewear Labs builds communication and unmanned systems technology for mission-critical operations in challenging environments.

Job Summary

The Mission Support Engineer – Networking is a hands-on, forward-deployed technical expert who owns the success of our communications and networking deployments — from pre-mission preparation through execution and recovery. You will translate mission requirements into working network architectures, diagnose problems in austere conditions, and enable operators to use the capability confidently on their own.

Key Responsibilities

Mission Support & Field Execution

• Own technical execution of communications and networking deployments, including trials, evaluations, demonstrations, exercises, and operational missions.
• Serve as the on-site technical owner for network readiness, configuration, troubleshooting, and mission performance.
• Conduct pre-mission checks, equipment preparation, configuration, and readiness assessments; support post-mission recovery, documentation, and after-action review.
• Translate mission requirements into practical connectivity and network architecture.
• Drive issues to resolution in the field using structured troubleshooting and sound engineering judgment rather than escalation.

Network Engineering & Troubleshooting

• Configure, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot mission networking and communications equipment.
• Troubleshoot IP addressing and subnetting, routing, NAT, DHCP, DNS, VPNs, tunnels, encrypted overlays, and firewall and traffic filtering rules.
• Diagnose MTU, latency, packet loss, and constrained-bandwidth problems, and capture and analyze traffic using tools such as tcpdump and Wireshark.
• Deploy and troubleshoot video streaming over constrained and contested links, including RTSP, RTP/UDP, SRT, MPEG-TS, WebRTC, and HLS; H.264/H.265 encoding; and ONVIF-compliant cameras and encoders.
• Tune video streams for available bandwidth and latency budgets — bitrate, resolution, GOP and keyframe interval, buffering, multicast versus unicast — and resolve firewall, NAT traversal, and transcoding issues affecting feeds to ATAK, ground control stations, and downstream consumers.
• Work with RF communications and satellite or other beyond-line-of-sight connectivity as the mission requires.

Linux, Software & Automation

• Administer and troubleshoot Linux from the command line: processes and services, logs, network interfaces, routing tables, firewall rules, permissions, packages and dependencies, and system resource utilization.
• Work with APIs, configuration files, logs, and command-line tools to configure systems and diagnose mission issues.
• Build temporary diagnostic tools, scripts, or workarounds when needed to isolate a problem or keep a mission moving.

Customer Enablement & Product Feedback

• Train operators on network setup, communications workflows, and troubleshooting, and support onboarding into operational use.
• Advise customers on incorporating the technology into SOPs, CONOPs, and training pipelines, and deliver technical briefs and demonstrations covering capabilities and limitations.
• Synthesize operator feedback and field observations for Product and Engineering, and help validate new capabilities and integrations prior to launch.

Qualifications

Required

• Hands-on, engineering-level experience diagnosing and resolving networking and communications problems in field, tactical, or other mission-critical environments.
• Strong practical networking knowledge across the areas described above, including packet capture and analysis.
• Working experience with video streaming protocols and codecs (RTSP, RTP/UDP, SRT, MPEG-TS, WebRTC, HLS; H.264/H.265) and with troubleshooting video delivery over bandwidth-constrained links.
• Proficiency administering and troubleshooting Linux systems from the command line.
• Working knowledge of RF communications and at least one beyond-line-of-sight, satellite, or tactical communications environment.
• Ability to read and interpret technical documentation, network diagrams, configurations, and standard operating procedures.
• Experience briefing, training, or supporting military, government, or defense customers.
• Strong problem-solving, field judgment, and communication skills.
• Ability to travel a minimum of 25%.
• Relevant field, military, technical, or operational experience may substitute for an engineering degree.

Preferred

• Prior Mission Operations, Field Operations, Program Support, Field Service, Network Operations, or Technical Pre-Sales experience.
• Experience supporting large-scale government evaluations, operational tests, field exercises, or deployed communications missions.
• Experience with satellite communications, tactical or mesh networking, or RF systems in austere environments.
• Familiarity with Somewear Labs' platforms or similar technologies.