SkillBridge - Mission Operations Engineer

Distributed Spectrum • New York, NY

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Distributed Spectrum is seeking a transitioning active-duty service member for a DoD SkillBridge opportunity supporting Mission Operations. This is a structured training and internship pathway for service members who want civilian experience in field deployment support, technical integration, test and validation, customer mission execution, troubleshooting, and operator-to-engineering translation in a defense-technology environment. This opportunity is designed to capture a wider range of mission-facing technical profiles, not just a traditional Mission Ops candidate. We are open to candidates whose experience leans more toward mission support, systems integration, deployment engineering, test and evaluation, technical field support, or adjacent developer-enabled mission systems work, provided they have helped make real systems work in real environments.
Participants in this program remain on active duty during the SkillBridge period and continue receiving military compensation and benefits from the Department of Defense. Participation is contingent on DoD SkillBridge eligibility, command approval, and alignment on program structure, location, and supervision. SkillBridge participation does not guarantee employment with Distributed Spectrum, though a separate conversation about future employment may occur based on performance, timing, and company needs.

Requirements

• Must be an active-duty service member eligible for DoD SkillBridge
• Must be within the authorized transition window required by your service and command
• Must obtain written command approval before program participation
• Must meet any applicable security, export-control, or customer-access requirements for the work
• Must be able to support the agreed program schedule, supervision model, and location requirements
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: Mission systems, mission support, deployment engineering, or field engineering
• Experience in Systems integration, test and evaluation, readiness, validation, or sustainment
• Experience in SIGINT, EW, cyber, tactical communications, ISR, tactical sensing, or adjacent technical mission environments
• Experience in UAS/C-UAS, mission planning, payload/sensor support, or operational technical support
• Experience in Technical training, troubleshooting, user support, or operator-facing field work
• Experience in Roles where you had to make complex systems work in ambiguous, time-sensitive, real-world environments
• Ability to operate credibly in the seam between operators and engineers
• Ability to help solve technical problems in the field
• Ability to grow into a mission-facing operator/integrator role in a fast-moving defense-technology environment
• 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

Nice To Haves

• Fast learners over specific backgrounds
• Intellectual honesty
• Adaptability
• Ownership of outcomes
• Ability to stay connected to teams and customers

Responsibilities

• Support preparation and execution for field deployments, mission events, test activities, exercises, and customer-facing demonstrations
• Assist with system setup, configuration, integration, readiness checks, and troubleshooting in lab and field environments
• Learn how mission-user and customer feedback is captured, triaged, and translated into product, engineering, training, and workflow improvements
• Help document issues, improve deployment procedures, and contribute to checklists, quick-reference guides, training materials, and after-action deliverables
• Shadow and support personnel working with technical teams, customers, and operators across deployment, validation, and mission-support workflows
• Gain exposure to fielded mission systems operating in RF, sensing, tactical communications, autonomy-adjacent, and mission-system environments
• Contribute to the connective work between operators, customers, systems, and engineering teams that helps mission outcomes improve over time

Benefits

• Above-market salary, equity, and benefits package
• Early Series A Equity
• Excellent health, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) match - up to 4% of your salary
• Flexible PTO
• Daily office lunches in NYC

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed