Earth Stations Operations Engineer

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA. Earth Station Engineer The Earth Station Operations Engineer is responsible for the day-to-day operation, monitoring, and maintenance of satellite earth stations and associated ground infrastructure including ground network. This role ensures reliable, safe, and compliant satellite communications by supporting 24/7 operations, troubleshooting RF and network issues, and coordinating with internal teams, vendors, and external partners. Role Provide technical oversight and operational support for earth stations and associated networks, including antennas, RF chains, modems, and networking equipment Monitor earth station performance and execute routine operations such as station bring-ups, link activations, and configuration changes Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve RF, IF, IP, and control system issues and drive fault isolation across ground, space, and network segments through closure Perform and coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance on earth station and network equipment Coordinate field work, remote hands, and vendor support for engineering projects, repairs, and OM (operations maintenance) activities Interface cross-functionally with satellite operations, network engineering, IT, RF, software, program teams, suppliers, and external partners during nominal and anomaly conditions Develop, maintain, and follow SOPs, MOPs, contingency procedures, operational plans, and handbooks Document incidents, root cause analyses, corrective actions, and lessons learned Maintain accurate configuration management, inventory, and as-built documentation Communicate clearly during incidents, including escalation, coordination, and status updates to stakeholders Support testing, commissioning, and acceptance of new earth stations, upgrades, and system changes Participate in shift coverage and on-call rotations as required Ensure compliance with regulatory, safety, and customer requirements Identify and implement improvements to reliability, automation, efficiency, and scalability; provide operational feedback into system design Requirements 3-5 years of experience with earth station hardware and wireless communications (preferably satcom). Experience RF electronics and communication systems including RF front-end equipment, back-end equipment, communication hardware, and link budgets Experience with antenna system calibration, diagnostics, and monitoring Experience using RF test equipment (spectrum analyzer and signal generator) and debugging RF components Experience with antenna design and operation Experience in an operations environment with an on-call schedule Strong project management skills, detail oriented, organized, and able to demonstrate a high sense of urgency Willing to travel 20% of the time Willing and able to obtain a security clearance Excellent written and verbal communication skills Enjoy a fast-paced environment and wearing many hats Lifting, standing, climbing, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, and carrying are generally required to perform the functions of this pos ... (truncated, view full listing at source)