Satellite Communications Technician Jobs
Satellite Communications Technician jobs are open across defense contractors, telecommunications carriers, government agencies, and satellite operators, with specializations in RF systems, ground station operations, and SATCOM network maintenance, from entry-level installer roles to senior field technician and systems engineer positions. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 16+ Satellite Communications Technician jobs
About the Role
Position Title: Chief Systems Engineer - Satellite Communications
Work Location: Albuquerque, NM or Herndon, VA
- Clearance Requirement: Must have an active Top Secret / SCI security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.
Employment Type: Full-time
About Us: BlackVe, Inc. is a mission-first, dynamic, and innovative national security company focused on emerging space and advanced technologies and dedicated to pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence in support of our government customers.
Job Description:
The Chief Systems Engineer - Satellite Communications will serve as the end-to-end technical lead for the development and delivery of advanced satellite communications systems. This role is responsible for the technical integrity, system performance, and systems engineering execution across the space, communications payload, ground, network, terminal/user, waveform, software, and mission operations elements. The Chief Systems Engineer will establish and maintain the technical baseline from mission needs and CONOPS through requirements, architecture, design, integration, verification, deployment, and operations, while serving as a primary technical interface to customers, partners, and internal engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:
- Serve as the senior technical authority for end-to-end satellite communications system development, with responsibility for integrated technical performance and the system technical baseline.
- Lead development and maturation of the mission architecture, CONOPS, system requirements, performance budgets, interfaces, and verification strategy.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF and communications, payload, spacecraft, ground, network and software, cybersecurity, terminals, waveforms, integration and test, and mission operations.
- Translate mission and customer needs into an executable system architecture and requirements baseline, ensuring alignment across segments, suppliers, and external interfaces.
- Drive major technical decisions and trade studies, resolve cross-segment issues, and balance performance, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and technical risk.
Essential Job Functions
- Lead, manage, and hold the program systems engineering team accountable for disciplined execution, technical quality, and closure of cross-functional actions.
- Own the end-to-end technical baseline across the satellite communications mission, including space, payload, ground, network, user/terminal, and operations elements and their external interfaces.
- Lead the development of system architecture and CONOPS in accordance with program goals, customer mission needs, operational scenarios, and lifecycle constraints.
- Lead requirements decomposition, allocation, traceability, and verification planning across all technical disciplines, and ensure requirements remain complete, consistent, testable, and achievable.
- Own system interface definition and consistency, including development and maintenance of interface control documents and coordination of hardware, software, RF, network, and operational interfaces.
- Establish and enforce technical baseline, configuration control, design documentation, decision tracking, and review processes appropriate to the program lifecycle.
- Lead system-level technical analyses and design trades, including communications link performance, coverage, capacity, latency, availability, spectrum and interference, resilience, and other key system performance drivers.
- Lead and support major technical reviews and readiness events, including SRR/SFR, PDR, CDR, TRR, system integration, verification, validation, and customer acceptance activities.
- Identify, quantify, and manage technical risks, assumptions, margins, technical performance measures, and risk-reduction activities in accordance with program cost and schedule objectives.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and technical leads, communicate technical status and risks to program leadership and customers, and foster a culture of engineering rigor, accountability, and collaboration.
Required Qualifications:
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience in satellite communications and complex space system development.
- Must have an active Top Secret / SCI security clearance.
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 12+ years of relevant aerospace, defense, or communications systems engineering experience, including significant technical leadership responsibility.
- Demonstrated experience leading system architecture, requirements development and decomposition, interface management, technical trades, integration, verification, and technical risk management for a complex system.
- Working knowledge of satellite communications fundamentals and end-to-end mission segments, including RF links and antennas, communications payloads, spacecraft, ground systems, networks/software, user terminals, waveforms, and mission operations.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience serving as a Chief Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, Systems Architect, Deputy Chief Engineer, or equivalent technical leader on a satellite or communications development program.
- Experience with DoD or Intelligence Community satellite communications, MILSATCOM, protected or tactical communications, or other mission-critical communications systems.
- Deep understanding of systems engineering principles and practical experience applying them to requirements management, architecture development, interface control, technical performance management, verification, and design reviews in cost- and schedule-constrained programs.
- Experience with one or more relevant technical areas such as UHF, S-, X-, Ka-band, or optical communications; phased arrays or advanced antennas; digital communications payloads; modem/waveform development; networked ground systems; or resilient/contested communications.
- Experience with systems engineering and MBSE toolsets such as Jama, DOORS, Cameo, or similar tools, including disciplined requirements traceability and configuration management.
- Strong customer-facing technical leadership, communication, and mentoring skills, with the ability to convey complex technical issues to engineering teams, program leadership, partners, and government customers.
Location and Travel Requirements:
- This position is based in Herndon, VA or Albuquerque, NM, with occasional travel to other company locations or partner facilities as needed.
Why Join Us:
- Mission first-Always. We prioritize delivering results that directly support space and intelligence community programs and national security objectives.
- We operate as one team, grounded in trust, accountability, and open collaboration, where individuals actively support one another to achieve shared mission success.
- Work on high-impact programs across space, ISR, and advanced technology domains supporting DoD and IC customers.
- Ownership-driven culture is founded in teamwork where every employee is an owner, with equity participation and a direct stake in our success.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package, including flexible time off; 401(k) with company contribution
- Constant opportunities for program and professional impact.
ITAR / EAR Requirements:
This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(A)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.
How to Apply:
Please submit your resume and brief cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest . If there are any issues with applying or inquiries, please email to hiring@blackve.us.
Role Summary
Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including the selected candidate’s qualifications, relevant experience, education, certifications, security clearance, work location, internal equity, business needs, and prevailing market conditions. Salary ranges may vary based on geographic location and applicable market considerations.
In addition to base salary, eligible employees may participate in discretionary bonus programs and receive a comprehensive benefits package, where applicable.
For positions requiring access to classified information or government contracts, candidates with directly applicable experience and an active U.S. Government security clearance may be considered for compensation at higher levels within the posted salary range, consistent with business needs and applicable law.
About the Role
Position Title: Chief Systems Engineer - Satellite Communications
Work Location: Albuquerque, NM or Herndon, VA
- Clearance Requirement: Must have an active Top Secret / SCI security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.
Employment Type: Full-time
About Us: BlackVe, Inc. is a mission-first, dynamic, and innovative national security company focused on emerging space and advanced technologies and dedicated to pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence in support of our government customers.
Job Description:
The Chief Systems Engineer - Satellite Communications will serve as the end-to-end technical lead for the development and delivery of advanced satellite communications systems. This role is responsible for the technical integrity, system performance, and systems engineering execution across the space, communications payload, ground, network, terminal/user, waveform, software, and mission operations elements. The Chief Systems Engineer will establish and maintain the technical baseline from mission needs and CONOPS through requirements, architecture, design, integration, verification, deployment, and operations, while serving as a primary technical interface to customers, partners, and internal engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:
- Serve as the senior technical authority for end-to-end satellite communications system development, with responsibility for integrated technical performance and the system technical baseline.
- Lead development and maturation of the mission architecture, CONOPS, system requirements, performance budgets, interfaces, and verification strategy.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF and communications, payload, spacecraft, ground, network and software, cybersecurity, terminals, waveforms, integration and test, and mission operations.
- Translate mission and customer needs into an executable system architecture and requirements baseline, ensuring alignment across segments, suppliers, and external interfaces.
- Drive major technical decisions and trade studies, resolve cross-segment issues, and balance performance, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and technical risk.
Essential Job Functions
- Lead, manage, and hold the program systems engineering team accountable for disciplined execution, technical quality, and closure of cross-functional actions.
- Own the end-to-end technical baseline across the satellite communications mission, including space, payload, ground, network, user/terminal, and operations elements and their external interfaces.
- Lead the development of system architecture and CONOPS in accordance with program goals, customer mission needs, operational scenarios, and lifecycle constraints.
- Lead requirements decomposition, allocation, traceability, and verification planning across all technical disciplines, and ensure requirements remain complete, consistent, testable, and achievable.
- Own system interface definition and consistency, including development and maintenance of interface control documents and coordination of hardware, software, RF, network, and operational interfaces.
- Establish and enforce technical baseline, configuration control, design documentation, decision tracking, and review processes appropriate to the program lifecycle.
- Lead system-level technical analyses and design trades, including communications link performance, coverage, capacity, latency, availability, spectrum and interference, resilience, and other key system performance drivers.
- Lead and support major technical reviews and readiness events, including SRR/SFR, PDR, CDR, TRR, system integration, verification, validation, and customer acceptance activities.
- Identify, quantify, and manage technical risks, assumptions, margins, technical performance measures, and risk-reduction activities in accordance with program cost and schedule objectives.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and technical leads, communicate technical status and risks to program leadership and customers, and foster a culture of engineering rigor, accountability, and collaboration.
Required Qualifications:
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience in satellite communications and complex space system development.
- Must have an active Top Secret / SCI security clearance.
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 12+ years of relevant aerospace, defense, or communications systems engineering experience, including significant technical leadership responsibility.
- Demonstrated experience leading system architecture, requirements development and decomposition, interface management, technical trades, integration, verification, and technical risk management for a complex system.
- Working knowledge of satellite communications fundamentals and end-to-end mission segments, including RF links and antennas, communications payloads, spacecraft, ground systems, networks/software, user terminals, waveforms, and mission operations.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience serving as a Chief Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, Systems Architect, Deputy Chief Engineer, or equivalent technical leader on a satellite or communications development program.
- Experience with DoD or Intelligence Community satellite communications, MILSATCOM, protected or tactical communications, or other mission-critical communications systems.
- Deep understanding of systems engineering principles and practical experience applying them to requirements management, architecture development, interface control, technical performance management, verification, and design reviews in cost- and schedule-constrained programs.
- Experience with one or more relevant technical areas such as UHF, S-, X-, Ka-band, or optical communications; phased arrays or advanced antennas; digital communications payloads; modem/waveform development; networked ground systems; or resilient/contested communications.
- Experience with systems engineering and MBSE toolsets such as Jama, DOORS, Cameo, or similar tools, including disciplined requirements traceability and configuration management.
- Strong customer-facing technical leadership, communication, and mentoring skills, with the ability to convey complex technical issues to engineering teams, program leadership, partners, and government customers.
Location and Travel Requirements:
- This position is based in Herndon, VA or Albuquerque, NM, with occasional travel to other company locations or partner facilities as needed.
Why Join Us:
- Mission first-Always. We prioritize delivering results that directly support space and intelligence community programs and national security objectives.
- We operate as one team, grounded in trust, accountability, and open collaboration, where individuals actively support one another to achieve shared mission success.
- Work on high-impact programs across space, ISR, and advanced technology domains supporting DoD and IC customers.
- Ownership-driven culture is founded in teamwork where every employee is an owner, with equity participation and a direct stake in our success.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package, including flexible time off; 401(k) with company contribution
- Constant opportunities for program and professional impact.
ITAR / EAR Requirements:
This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(A)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.
How to Apply:
Please submit your resume and brief cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest . If there are any issues with applying or inquiries, please email to hiring@blackve.us.
Role Summary
Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including the selected candidate’s qualifications, relevant experience, education, certifications, security clearance, work location, internal equity, business needs, and prevailing market conditions. Salary ranges may vary based on geographic location and applicable market considerations.
In addition to base salary, eligible employees may participate in discretionary bonus programs and receive a comprehensive benefits package, where applicable.
For positions requiring access to classified information or government contracts, candidates with directly applicable experience and an active U.S. Government security clearance may be considered for compensation at higher levels within the posted salary range, consistent with business needs and applicable law.
Satellite Communications Technician Jobs by Experience Level
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Find JobsSatellite Communications Technician Job Market
Who's Hiring
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in satellite communications technician jobs.
- Experience installing, operating, or maintaining SATCOM terminals and antenna systems
- Familiarity with RF signal analysis tools and spectrum analyzers
- Active DoD security clearance or ability to obtain one
- Associate degree or vocational training in electronics, telecommunications, or a related field
- Knowledge of IP networking protocols and satellite link-budget principles
- FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License or equivalent industry certification
Tips for Your Satellite Communications Technician Job Search
Tailor your resume to clearance requirements
Many satellite communications technician postings require an active or eligible security clearance. List your clearance level, granting agency, and date explicitly near the top of your resume so hiring managers and automated screening tools don't overlook you.
List every RF certification you hold
Certifications like RCDD, CompTIA Network+, or FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License are concrete differentiators. Put them in a dedicated section rather than burying them in job descriptions, since many SATCOM postings screen for specific credentials before reviewing experience.
Target postings by contract vehicle type
Defense-focused satellite technician roles often tie to specific government contracts or programs. When you recognize a contract name in a posting, reference relevant past work on similar programs in your cover letter. That direct alignment moves your application past generic competition.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists satellite communications technician openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare for hands-on technical screenings
Interviews for satellite communications technician roles frequently include a bench test or scenario question on troubleshooting a link-budget problem or antenna alignment failure. Walk through your diagnostic process step by step out loud, because interviewers are evaluating your methodology, not just the final answer.
Negotiate relocation terms before accepting
Ground station and teleport sites are often in remote or rural locations, so relocation packages vary widely. Ask specifically about temporary housing allowances, shipment limits, and return-trip provisions before signing, since these terms are rarely standardized across defense and commercial SATCOM employers.
Satellite Communications Technician Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most satellite communications technicians?
Leidos, Noblis, and Anduril are hiring the most satellite communications technicians right now, with openings concentrated in California, Virginia, and Colorado, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is strongest among defense prime contractors and commercial satellite operators with active government programs.
How many satellite communications technician jobs are remote?
About 0% of satellite communications technician openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, which is lower than many tech roles because ground station and field work requires physical presence. Remote opportunities do exist, primarily in network operations center monitoring, technical documentation, and satellite network planning rather than hands-on installation or maintenance.
How do you become a satellite communications technician?
Start with an associate degree or vocational certificate in electronics, telecommunications, or a related technical field. Gain hands-on experience through military service, an apprenticeship, or entry-level RF technician work. Earn an FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License and pursue additional certifications in networking or specific terminal systems. Many employers also require or strongly prefer candidates who can obtain a security clearance.
Can you get a satellite communications technician job with little experience?
Yes, entry-level positions exist, particularly at subcontractors supporting larger defense programs or at teleport operators that need installation and maintenance help. Military veterans with SATCOM or signals training often move directly into these roles. Civilian candidates without experience do best by completing an electronics or telecommunications program, earning an FCC license, and applying to field technician apprenticeships that provide structured on-the-job training.
What does the satellite communications technician interview process look like?
Most processes include an initial phone screen with HR, a technical interview covering RF fundamentals, antenna theory, and troubleshooting scenarios, and sometimes a practical assessment where you walk through diagnosing a link or hardware fault. For cleared positions there is also a background investigation step. Final-stage interviews often involve a site visit or conversation with the program lead or operations manager.
Where can I find and apply to satellite communications technician jobs?
You can find and apply to satellite communications technician jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Find roles that match your skills, experience level, and location preference, then apply directly to each listing from the same place.
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