Space-Based Comms Systems Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Space-Based Comms Systems Engineer to lead the evaluation, integration, and technical oversight of mainly 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.

You will work at the intersection of:

• Spacecraft optical communications

• Systems engineering and architecture development

• Vendor management and hardware procurement

• Mission performance analysis

• Cross-functional spacecraft integration

The ideal candidate understands not only the optical communications subsystem itself, but also how it interacts with the broader spacecraft architecture and mission objectives. This individual will provide technical leadership from early trade studies through deployment and operational readiness.

What you’ll do day-to-day

• 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.

• 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.

These skills would be amazing

• 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.

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.

Benefits: Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: ;br>Additionally, this position is incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters-where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Asylee, or Refugee. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).