Lead design and operation of ground segment connectivity and ISLs, configure Loft's Cockpit mission control, manage cross-fleet contact allocation and RF licensing, own network alerting and vendor/contract management, support satellite commissioning and on-call Flight Director duties, and optimize technical and financial ground operations.
Wanna join the adventure?
As a Senior Ground Segment Engineer, you play a pivotal role in building software to operate our fleet of in-orbit satellites, and to prepare for the challenges associated with operating different satellite buses in a variety of configurations. Your expertise will be instrumental in ensuring reliable, efficient, and scalable connectivity between our growing fleet of satellites via both ground stations and inter-satellite links.
You will configure Cockpit, Loft’s mission control system, to expand our ground segment connectivity, working with our ground station providers and the product teams that build Cockpit. You will manage cross-fleet contact allocation and planning, optimizing resource usage to maximize communication opportunities and minimize latency. Work closely with our Space Infrastructure, Spacecraft Deployment, Mission Deployment and Execution, and regulatory teams to manage commissioned satellites and prepare for the commissioning of new ones. This position will also give you the opportunity to become a rotating Flight Director, responsible for the health and safety of our satellite fleet.
There is opportunity for growth in this position. Your expertise in network infrastructure will be crucial in ensuring the reliability of our global satellite network, enabling us to deliver exceptional service to our customers. This role offers a broad scope to work on different aspects of satellite connectivity and play a significant part in shaping the future of satellite operations at Loft.
About this role:
- Manage architecture for ground station and inter-satellite link (ISL) connectivity solutions
- Own cross-fleet contact allocation, planning, and satellite connectivity configurations
- Support satellite operations both in nominal operations and by providing on-call support during commissioning.
- Own our network infrastructure alerting capabilities (ground station availability and anomaly detection, intersatellite link stability, etc)
- Own ground segment management – project management, cost management, contract management, RF compatibility test management, licensing coordination
- Own ground segment optimization – both technical performance and financial
- Own ground segment operation – escalation for ISL or Ground Station issues, serve as point of contact with providers during launch and early operations, commissioning of ISLs, new ground station sites.
- Occasionally test connectivity between Loft’s cloud and network providers, together with our Cloud Infrastructure team
- Serve as a rotating Flight Director, overseeing incident response and ensuring the health and safety of the fleet.
- Manage RF licensing together with our regulatory team
Must haves:
- 4-5 years relevant experience
- RF knowledge sufficient to develop ground station or intersatellite link configurations
- Protocol knowledge (internet/transport layer): CCSDS (131.0/132.0, 231.0/232.0) and/or ECSS standards, TCP/IP, UDP
- Licensing knowledge
- Ability to debug connectivity issues in a complex network environment
- Experience with Kubernetes (k8s), Docker, Git, Python
- Willingness and enthusiasm to be trained as a satellite controller and Flight Director (including participation in the on-call rotation).
Nice to haves:
- Having held this type of position in the past
- Proven experience developing software
Some of our awesome benefits:
- 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependents
- Flexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) Accounts offered with an employer contribution to the HSA
- 100% employer paid Life, AD&D, Short-Term, and Long-Term Disability insurance
- Flexible Time Off policy for vacation and sick leave, and 12 paid holidays
- 401(k) plan and equity options
- Daily catered lunches and snacks in office
- International exposure to our team in France
- Fully paid parental leave; 14 weeks for birthing parent and 10 weeks for non-birthing parent
- Carrot Fertility provides comprehensive, inclusive fertility healthcare and family-forming benefits with financial support
- Off-sites and many social events and celebrations
- Relocation assistance when applicable
*Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check all the boxes.
Who We Are
Loft: Space Made Simple.
Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit.
We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives.
With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure.
As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.
Loft Orbital San Francisco, California, USA Office
715 Bryant St. , San Francisco, CA, United States, 94117
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