Mission Architect - Space Communications Systems

Vantor • Westminster, CO

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Vantor is seeking a mid-career Mission Architect – Communications Systems to join their team in Westminster, CO. This role involves defining, architecting, and optimizing next-generation satellite missions, sitting at the intersection of customer needs, mission design, space systems engineering, and communications architecture. The Mission Architect will collaborate across engineering disciplines to translate customer objectives into technically feasible and operationally effective mission concepts and system architectures. The ideal candidate will understand how mission requirements influence design decisions for spacecraft, payloads, ground segments, and communications systems. They should be comfortable with system-level trades, evaluating technical and operational risks, and balancing performance, schedule, cost, and regulatory constraints. This role requires strong RF communications knowledge, practical satellite development experience, and effective communication skills with customers, operators, and engineering teams. Unlike traditional roles, Mission Architects at Vantor remain engaged throughout the mission's operational lifetime, influencing evolution, performance, future capabilities, and follow-on architectures. This offers opportunities to develop expertise across adjacent technical domains and contribute based on skills, interests, and business needs. Vantor operates with a small, highly collaborative team where ownership and problem-solving outside immediate specialties are valued. The company has multiple satellite development programs underway, including two funded spacecraft programs in active execution and additional mission concepts in development. This position offers the chance to shape both near-term flight systems and the next generation of mission capabilities.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in satellite communications, space systems engineering, mission architecture, systems engineering, or related technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience developing and evaluating RF communications architectures for satellite systems.
• Strong understanding of RF link budget development, performance analysis, and communications system trades.
• Working knowledge of communications hardware commonly used in LEO satellite systems, including: RF transmitters and receivers, Antennas and antenna subsystems, Gimbals and pointing systems, Modems and communications electronics.
• Ability to evaluate mission-level communications performance and translate customer objectives into executable system architectures.
• Experience performing architecture trades involving coverage, throughput, latency, availability, resiliency, spacecraft resources, and operational constraints.
• Understanding of RF spectrum management and regulatory processes, including: FCC licensing, ITU filings and coordination, Spectrum allocation and assignment processes, Interference analysis and mitigation considerations.
• Familiarity with LEO satellite communications architectures and operational concepts.
• Ability to work effectively across spacecraft, payload, ground, operations, and business teams.
• Strong technical communication skills with customers, operators, leadership, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrated ownership mentality and willingness to solve problems outside traditional role boundaries when mission success requires it.
• Ability to apply for and obtain a Top Secret USG security clearance after hire.

Nice To Haves

• Experience serving as a Mission Architect, Chief Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, Communications Architect, or similar technical leadership role.
• Direct experience with small satellite or LEO constellation development programs.
• Experience designing, analyzing, or operating inter-satellite crosslink architectures.
• Experience with optical communications systems, optical terminals, or hybrid RF/optical network architectures.
• Experience supporting spacecraft development through integration, test, launch, commissioning, and on-orbit operations.
• Direct on-orbit operational experience with satellite communications systems.
• Experience developing mission concepts and architectures from early customer engagement through operational deployment.
• Experience with communications security architectures, encryption standards, key management concepts, and secure satellite communications systems.
• Familiarity with commercial, civil, national security, or defense communications security requirements and implementation considerations.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft Command and Data Handling (C&DH) architectures, telemetry, command processing, onboard networking, data routing, and storage systems.
• Experience evaluating interfaces and tradeoffs between communications subsystems, spacecraft avionics, payload systems, and mission operations.
• Understanding of spacecraft resource management, including power, thermal, pointing, command and data handling, and network performance impacts on communications architectures.
• Experience with commercial, civil, national security, or defense space missions.
• Familiarity with mission analysis, communications modeling, simulation, and digital engineering environments.
• Active U.S. Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Responsibilities

• Define, architect, and optimize next-generation satellite missions.
• Translate customer objectives into technically feasible, operationally effective mission concepts and system architectures.
• Work across engineering disciplines to ensure mission requirements drive design decisions for spacecraft, payloads, ground segments, and communications systems.
• Make system-level trades, evaluate technical and operational risks, and balance performance, schedule, cost, and regulatory constraints.
• Influence mission evolution, operational performance, future capabilities, and follow-on architectures beyond the development phase.
• Partner closely with engineering teams while remaining technically engaged in implementation and execution.
• Contribute beyond primary specialty areas as opportunities arise and mission priorities evolve.
• Help build a culture of ownership, technical excellence, speed, collaboration, and practical problem solving.
• Translate customer objectives into practical, executable mission architectures.
• Drive communications architecture decisions across spacecraft, payload, ground, and operational systems.
• Perform mission-level trades that optimize performance, operational effectiveness, resiliency, cost, and schedule.
• Shape communications strategies for current flight programs and future mission concepts.

Benefits

• Robust 401(k) with company match
• Mental health resources
• Student loan repayment assistance
• Adoption reimbursement
• Pet insurance
• Incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level