Senior Product Engineer

SES Space & Defense; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

SES Space & Defense is seeking a Senior Product Engineer to join the Product Engineering organization. You will help develop, validate, and deploy next‑generation satellite products and services, focusing on SES mPOWER and multi‑orbit capabilities.

You’ll work across engineering, operations, product management, and commercial teams to ensure operational readiness and customer satisfaction. You will validate hub‑side configurations, support terminal certification, and ensure end‑to‑end service

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related technical discipline.
• 5–8 years of experience in satellite communications, networking, or product engineering.
• Experience with hub infrastructure, remote terminals, and modems.
• Experience supporting service activation and network provisioning.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams.
• Experience with SES mPOWER or MEO systems preferred.
• Familiarity with multi‑orbit networks and orchestration tools preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support development and productization of new satellite communications products and services.
• Assist with hub-side configurations for remote terminal types and service plans.
• Validate network elements for terminal qualification and deployment.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, product management, and commercial teams.
• Contribute to end-to-end system validation and product rollout activities.
• Develop technical procedures and configuration guides for new products.
• Assist in troubleshooting during onboarding and service activation.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Troubleshooting

Written and verbal communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer-focused mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline

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 and 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. At SES Space & Defense, you’ll work alongside a mission‑driven team committed to integrity, honor, and accountability, delivering real‑world impact across today’s most critical missions.

What You’ll Do

The Senior Product Engineer will join the Product Engineering organization to support the development, validation, and deployment of next‑generation satellite communications products and services. Reporting to the Senior Director of Product Engineering, this role plays a critical part in productizing the SES mPOWER portfolio and advancing emerging multi‑orbit network capabilities. The position focuses on integrating remote terminal solutions into operational networks, validating hub‑side configurations, supporting terminal certification efforts, and ensuring end‑to‑end service readiness. Working across engineering, operations, product management, and commercial organizations, the successful candidate will help transition new capabilities from development into operational service while maintaining technical consistency, reliability, and customer satisfaction. This is an ideal opportunity for an engineer who enjoys blending satellite communications, systems integration, and service delivery within a rapidly evolving multi‑orbit environment.

• Support the Product Engineering team during the development and productization of new satellite communications products and services
• Support the productization of the SES mPOWER service portfolio and multi‑orbit service offerings
• Implement and validate hub‑side configurations required to support new remote terminal types, service plans, and operational capabilities
• Support configuration and validation of network elements used during terminal qualification, certification, and operational deployment
• Support engineering activities associated with remote terminal and gateway/teleport qualification and certification
• Work with terminal and modem manufacturers to ensure their products meet operational requirements
• Assist with end‑to‑end system validation by verifying interoperability between terminals, hub infrastructure, satellite resources, and network management systems
• Support customer commissioning activities, including hub‑side provisioning, service activation, configuration validation, and troubleshooting
• Develop technical procedures, engineering documentation, configuration guides, and operational work instructions supporting new product introductions
• Assist in troubleshooting network, terminal, and service activation issues encountered during product rollout and customer onboarding
• Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Product Management, and Commercial teams to support the successful transition of new products into operational service
• Contribute to engineering analyses and technical trade studies supporting product enhancements and continuous service improvements
• Support integration and testing of software releases, modem features, network capabilities, and service enhancements affecting product performance
• Maintain readiness of integration and test laboratories, ensuring equipment configuration, cabling, firmware, and network topologies remain current and operational

Who You Are

You are a systems‑minded engineer with a passion for satellite communications, product development, and operational service delivery. You enjoy solving integration challenges that span terminals, gateways, network infrastructure, and space assets while ensuring new capabilities transition seamlessly into production environments. Your background combines technical depth with strong collaboration skills, allowing you to work effectively across engineering, operations, commercial, and customer‑facing organizations. You thrive in dynamic environments where innovation, reliability, and customer success are equally important. Most importantly, you are excited by the evolution of multi‑orbit communications networks and eager to contribute to the next generation of global connectivity solutions.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 5–8 years of experience supporting satellite communications, telecommunications, networking, systems engineering, or product engineering activities
• Experience supporting satellite communications systems, including hub infrastructure, remote terminals, and modem technologies
• Experience supporting service activation, customer commissioning, network provisioning, or systems integration activities
• Working knowledge of RF communications, IP networking, modem technologies, antenna systems, and end‑to‑end satellite and terrestrial communications architectures
• Experience developing engineering documentation, technical procedures, test plans, and configuration management artifacts
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with the ability to resolve complex technical issues
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively within collaborative, cross‑functional engineering organizations
• Experience supporting SES mPOWER or other MEO satellite communication systems preferred
• Working knowledge of multi‑orbit satellite communications networks preferred
• Familiarity with satellite hub platforms, modem systems, network management tools, and service provisioning environments preferred
• Experience supporting remote terminal commissioning, gateway operations, and satellite network operations preferred
• Knowledge of software APIs, automation frameworks, and network orchestration technologies preferred
• Experience supporting commercial satellite service providers or managed communications networks preferred
• Understanding of cloud‑based network management and virtualization technologies preferred
• Familiarity with Agile engineering methodologies and product lifecycle management processes preferred
• Strong engineering mindset with a passion for satellite communications product development
• Effective problem‑solving abilities and sound technical judgment
• Collaborative approach to working across engineering, operations, product, and commercial teams
• Customer‑focused mindset with an appreciation for operational service quality and reliability
• Organized, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities in dynamic environments
• Eagerness to learn emerging satellite technologies and contribute to next‑generation communications services
• Commitment to continuous improvement across quality processes, test methodologies, and infrastructure hardening efforts

SES Space & 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.