Principal RF Ground Systems & Anchor Station Engineer

SES Space & Defense; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SES Space & Defense is seeking an experienced RF Communications Engineer to lead RF Ground System operations in Reston, Virginia. The ideal candidate will have over 12 years in satellite communications and provide technical authority for mission-critical operations. Responsibilities include overseeing RF ground infrastructure, coordinating technical execution across teams, and enhancing system reliability.

This role demands a deep understanding of RF systems and an ability to mentor junior engineers. SES Space & Defense values innovation and offers a dynamic work environment.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in satellite communications, RF systems engineering, or ground segment development.
• Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, testing, or operating satellite RF ground systems.
• Strong understanding of RF interference analysis and modulation techniques.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal technical authority for RF Ground System operations.
• Develop and maintain RF ground segment architecture and requirements.
• Lead engineering activities supporting satellite feeder link connectivity.

Skills

Satellite feeder link architectures

TT&C systems

RF link budgets

Antenna systems

High-power RF systems

Spectrum management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Aerospace/RF Engineering

Tools

RF test equipment

Satellite ground control systems

Antenna characterization tools

Job description

Who We Are

At SES Space & Defense, we are a trusted partner ensuring mission success for customers operating in the most demanding environments. As part of SES S.A., a global leader in satellite‑enabled connectivity, we deliver multi‑orbit, end‑to‑end satellite and technology solutions that provide secure, reliable, and high‑bandwidth communications across the globe. Our differentiated multi‑orbit architecture combines GEO and MEO satellite systems with integrated terrestrial and network infrastructure to deliver resilient, low‑latency, high‑throughput connectivity at a global scale. With more than 120 satellites covering nearly the entire world, a global ground network, and thousands of deployed terminals supporting over 5,000 government missions annually, SES Space & Defense is a trusted partner to the U.S. Federal Government and national security community, allied governments, NATO, and agencies including NASA for mission‑critical communications. We strive to be the only solution when success is critical and recognize our people as our competitive advantage.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the principal technical authority for the RF Ground System and anchor station supporting GEO satellite communications operations.
• Lead engineering activities associated with the design, development, integration, and deployment of mission‑critical RF ground infrastructure, including:
  • Large aperture antenna systems
  • RF chains and associated subsystems
  • Frequency conversion equipment
  • High‑power amplification systems
  • Low‑noise receive systems
  • Modems and waveform processing systems
  • Monitoring and control systems
  • RF monitoring and spectrum management capabilities
• Develop and maintain RF ground segment architecture, requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), and technical baselines.
• Support the Ground Segment IPT Lead in coordinating technical execution across spacecraft, ground segment, network, cybersecurity, and operations teams.
• Lead engineering activities supporting satellite feeder link connectivity, including:
  • Link budget development and validation
  • RF performance analysis
  • Carrier planning
  • Spectrum coordination
  • Availability and resiliency assessments
  • End‑to‑end communications performance verification
• Provide technical leadership for TT&C ground system implementation, including command path design, telemetry reception, tracking support, and operational interfaces.
• Support development and execution of ground segment integration and test activities, including:
  • Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
  • Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
  • RF performance testing
  • End‑to‑end satellite‑to‑ground testing
  • Operational readiness demonstrations
• Lead RF troubleshooting, anomaly resolution, and root cause analysis during integration, test, launch, and on‑orbit operations.
• Coordinate with satellite manufacturer teams to ensure compatibility between spacecraft RF payload, TT&C systems, and ground infrastructure.
• Support development of operational procedures, maintenance plans, configuration documentation, and sustainment processes.
• Provide technical oversight of anchor station reliability, redundancy, availability, and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Support cybersecurity implementation efforts for RF ground infrastructure, including protection of command and control pathways.
• Participate in customer technical reviews, design reviews, readiness reviews, and program milestone assessments.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across the RF ground engineering team.

Who You Are

You are a highly experienced RF and satellite communications engineer with deep expertise designing, integrating, and operating mission‑critical ground infrastructure supporting GEO communications systems. You understand how feeder links, TT&C architectures, anchor stations, RF performance, and operational ground systems come together to enable reliable and resilient mission execution. You thrive in technically complex environments, working across spacecraft manufacturers, government customers, operations teams, and multidisciplinary engineering organizations to solve challenging problems and deliver robust solutions. You bring strong technical leadership, independent problem‑solving skills, and the ability to translate operational needs into practical engineering approaches that balance performance, availability, cost, and schedule. Ultimately, you serve as a trusted technical authority responsible for ensuring RF ground systems remain secure, reliable, and operationally effective throughout the mission lifecycle.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, RF Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 12+ years of experience in satellite communications, RF systems engineering, or ground segment development.
• Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, testing, or operating satellite RF ground systems.
• Extensive experience with GEO satellite communications architectures and associated ground infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Satellite feeder link architectures
  • TT&C systems
  • RF link budgets
  • Antenna systems
  • High‑power RF systems
  • Modulation and coding techniques
  • Spectrum management
  • RF interference analysis
  • Ground station operational concepts
• Experience supporting large aperture antenna systems and mission‑critical gateway or anchor station operations.
• Experience with government or defense satellite communications programs.
• Experience leading technical activities across multiple engineering disciplines and contractor organizations.
• Ability to develop and communicate complex technical solutions to government customers and senior leadership.
• Active U.S. Secret clearance required; Top Secret/SCI preferred.
• Experience supporting protected or military SATCOM missions.
• Experience with Ka‑band, X‑band, or other high‑capacity satellite communications ground systems.
• Knowledge of DoD SATCOM architectures, gateway operations, and resilient communications networks.
• Experience with satellite ground control systems, RF monitoring systems, and mission operations tools.
• Experience supporting launch campaigns, early orbit operations (LEOP), and transition to operational service.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity requirements for space ground systems, including RMF and Zero Trust principles.
• Experience with RF test equipment, antenna characterization, PIM testing, and interference mitigation techniques.
• Experience with geographically distributed anchor station networks and redundant ground architectures.
• Experience with or knowledge of SES/Intelsat RF ground segment architectures, anchor station infrastructure, and operational ground systems supporting GEO satellite command, control, and mission operations.
• Familiarity with SES/Intelsat ground control software, satellite fleet management tools, and operational processes used for telemetry monitoring, command operations, mission planning, and on‑orbit satellite support.
• Strong technical leadership and independent problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to translate operational needs into practical engineering solutions.
• Experience balancing RF performance, system availability, cost, and schedule constraints.
• Strong understanding of mission assurance and operational reliability for space systems.
• Ability to operate effectively in a high‑visibility government program environment.

SES Space and Defense is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.