Senior Site Engineer

Northwood; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood is building a worldwide network of ground stations, and we need a Sr. Operations Engineer to lead hardware and operations development, remote site selection, and site construction.

This role is based at our Los Angeles HQ with frequent travel to domestic and international sites. You will drive deployments, coordinate with internal and external teams, and ensure reliable, scalable performance of our global communications infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, civil, electrical, or related engineering.
• Willingness to travel to domestic and international ground station sites.

Responsibilities

• Build the network: deploy antennas, power systems, racks, and infrastructure.
• Find and secure ground station sites balancing performance, speed, and cost.
• Engineer site architecture, hardware, and deployment processes for speed and cost.
• Keep stations online: monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize system performance.
• Manage partnerships with internal teams, contractors, logistics, and network providers.

Skills

Multi-discipline collaboration

Project leadership

Site deployment

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, civil, electrical, or related engineering

Tools

Grafana

SQL

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role

Northwood is building a worldwide network of ground stations, and we need a Sr. Operations Engineer to lead the charge. We’re looking for a hands‑on problem‑solver with a builder’s mindset and a track record of delivering large projects in fast‑paced timelines. You will lead the charge of hardware and operations development, remote site selection, and site construction. You will frequently travel to sites and lead from the front. You will be Northwood’s jack‑of‑all‑trades and work side‑by‑side with internal and external teams. This role is based in our HQ in Los Angeles with frequent travel to domestic and international sites.

Responsibilities

• Build the Network. Deploy antennas, power systems, racks, and infrastructure at Northwood sites across the globe.
• Find and Secure Sites. Identify and acquire ground station locations, balancing system performance, deployment speed, and cost.
• Engineer the Sites. Design site architecture, hardware, and processes for deployment speed and cost.
• Keep Us Online. Oversee live operations, monitor system performance, and troubleshoot issues to keep our stations operating at peak performance.
• Manage Partners. Collaborate with internal partners, contractors, logistics, and network providers to coordinate deployments and deliver sites.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, civil, electrical, or related engineering discipline
• Willingness to travel to domestic and international ground station sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work across multiple engineering disciplines and with diverse teams.
• Demonstrated success in executing large projects on tight timelines.
• Experience working in construction or facilities.
• Hands‑on field experience with proficiency using basic tools.
• Experience reviewing system telemetry in an operations environment.
• Experience building or using dashboards and databases (e.g., Grafana, SQL).
• Ability to clearly communicate, track deadlines, and manage complex schedules.
• Working proficiency in non‑English languages is a plus.

Additional Information

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.