Principal Engineer, Level 3 Support

SES Space & Defense•Bristow, VA

About The Position

The Principal Engineer serves as a senior technical authority supporting the deployment, integration, sustainment, and troubleshooting of mission-critical GEO and MEO satellite communications systems. The role provides Tier III engineering support across SES Space & Defense’s global SATCOM infrastructure, working with customers, field personnel, network operations teams, and engineering organizations to resolve complex technical issues and ensure reliable service delivery. The position combines hands-on field engineering, systems integration, operational troubleshooting, and customer engagement across satellite communications technologies. It supports operational readiness, improves service reliability, and enables deployment of new capabilities in government and defense customer environments. Domestic and international travel is required for customer operations and system deployments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
8–10 years of SATCOM engineering, field engineering, or satellite communications operations experience.
Strong knowledge of GEO and MEO satellite communications systems, including operational support, integration, and troubleshooting.
Experience supporting fixed and mobile SATCOM systems, antennas, terminals, modems, networking equipment, and associated infrastructure.
Working knowledge of IP networking, routing, and communications technologies.
Experience conducting system testing, acceptance activities, site surveys, installations, and operational-readiness assessments.
Ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues in customer-facing and operational environments.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally in support of customer operations and system deployments.
U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Juniper experience.
Experience supporting government, military, or defense communications systems.
Active security clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide Tier III technical support for GEO and MEO satellite communications services, including escalated operational and customer issues.
Perform factory acceptance testing (FAT), bench testing, validation, and certification of SATCOM equipment, terminals, and integrated systems.
Support installation, activation, integration, and sustainment of fixed and mobile satellite communications systems in customer environments.
Conduct site surveys and technical assessments, and recommend system designs, deployment approaches, and operational-readiness measures.
Troubleshoot complex SATCOM, networking, and system-integration issues across customer and SES-operated infrastructure.
Perform field service activities, including domestic and international travel for installations, repairs, upgrades, and operational support.
Develop and maintain technical documentation, as-built drawings, operational procedures, and troubleshooting guidance.
Deliver customer and internal training on SATCOM systems, operational procedures, and troubleshooting methodologies.
Support warehouse, RMA, asset-management, and equipment-lifecycle activities to maintain operational readiness of deployed systems.
Collaborate with Network Operations, Engineering, Service Delivery, and customer stakeholders to improve system performance and service reliability.