Principal RF Ground Systems – Anchor Station Engineer

SES Space & Defense

Principal RF Ground System & Anchor Station Engineer at SES Space & Defense ensuring secure satellite communications operations. Leading design and execution of RF ground system infrastructure for government satellite communications.

Posted 6/27/2026full-timeRemote • Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Cyber Security

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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.

Requirements

What you’ll need

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
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.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health insurance
Retirement plans
Paid time off
Flexible work arrangements
Professional development
Cybersecurity implementation efforts

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

RF systems engineeringsatellite communicationsground segment developmentlink budget developmentRF performance analysisspectrum managementhigh-power RF systemsmodulation techniquescoding techniquesRF troubleshooting

Soft Skills

technical leadershipmentoringcommunicationcollaborationproblem-solvingtechnical guidanceproject managementcustomer engagementteam coordinationanomaly resolution

Certifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical EngineeringBachelor’s degree in Aerospace EngineeringBachelor’s degree in RF EngineeringBachelor’s degree in Systems EngineeringActive U.S. Secret clearanceTop Secret/SCI preferred