Sr. Staff Space-Based Communications Systems Engineer

About the role

Vantor is seeking an experienced Space-Based Comms Systems Engineer to lead the evaluation, integration, and technical oversight of spacecraft optical communications solutions. This role will serve as a key technical authority across optical terminal selection, link performance analysis, vendor engagement, and system-level architecture development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evaluation, selection, and integration of spacecraft optical communications systems for mission-critical space programs.
• Develop and maintain optical communications trade studies, requirements analyses, and hardware down-selection efforts.
• Build and maintain detailed optical link budgets, including acquisition, tracking, pointing, atmospheric effects, distance-dependent losses, and system performance margins.
• Analyze end-to-end communications performance and recommend architecture improvements across spacecraft, ground, and network segments.
• Assess optical terminal capabilities, data rates, acquisition strategies, modulation approaches, and operational concepts to ensure mission success.
• Serve as the primary technical interface with optical communications vendors, evaluating product offerings and ensuring alignment with program requirements.
• Guide vendor engagements throughout the product lifecycle, including technical reviews, design assessments, manufacturing oversight, and delivery planning.
• Interact and collaborate with optical comm and RF cross-link service providers to evaluate the applicability of their offerings.
• Monitor supplier manufacturing, integration, testing, and qualification activities to ensure schedule, quality, and technical objectives are achieved.
• Collaborate with spacecraft, avionics, communications, mission operations, payload, and systems engineering teams to develop optimized end-to-end solutions.
• Identify technical risks, performance limitations, and integration challenges while developing mitigation strategies.
• Support system architecture development and provide recommendations on upstream and downstream subsystem impacts.
• Contribute to customer engagements, technical reviews, and proposal activities as a subject matter expert in optical communications.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen and possess, or have the ability to obtain, a U.S. Government TS/SCI security clearance.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in the Aerospace industry – 2+ years of developing, integrating, or supporting spacecraft optical communications systems.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft optical communications principles, including: Link acquisition and tracking, Pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems, Optical link budget development, Data rate and bandwidth calculations, Distance-dependent losses and performance modeling, End-to-end communications architecture.
• Experience conducting technical trade studies and hardware down-selection efforts.
• Experience with spacecraft optical communications AI&T campaigns and deploying into full operations.
• Experience developing and maintaining system-level performance analyses and link budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate vendor technologies and manage technical relationships with suppliers and manufacturers.
• Experience overseeing hardware development, manufacturing, testing, and qualification activities.
• Experience setting up, executing tests, and analyzing data-chain testbeds leveraging optical terminals.
• Strong systems engineering mindset with the ability to understand subsystem interactions and mission-level impacts.
• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to operate independently and drive technically complex initiatives with minimal oversight.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting optical communications systems for commercial, civil, and national security missions.
• Familiarity with optical terminal integration into spacecraft avionics and communications architectures.
• Experience in designing spacecraft RF cross-links.
• Experience with ground station integration and end-to-end communications network analysis.
• Experience supporting design reviews, requirements verification, and mission readiness activities.
• Knowledge of emerging optical communications standards, architectures, and industry trends.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance.

Skills

• Systems engineering mindset with the ability to understand subsystem interactions and mission-level impacts.
• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to operate independently and drive technically complex initiatives with minimal oversight.

Benefits

• Competitive total rewards package including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement, and pet insurance.
• Unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement, and pet insurance.
• Company-provided benefits including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans.
• Flexible work arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance.
• Professional development and continuing education opportunities.

Pay

The starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The base pay for this position within Colorado is: $124,000.00 - $165,000.00 - $181,500.00 annually. For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Location

Vantor is headquartered in [City, State] and has offices in [Other Cities, States]. The ideal candidate will be located in [City, State] and be willing to travel to [Other Cities, States] as needed.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas.