Ground Operations Engineer

About Northwood:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Job Level:

The level of this position will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are open to considering candidates of varying experience levels, from early-career to experienced.

Role:

Northwood seeks a Ground Operations Engineer to lead the design, planning, sourcing, and construction of ground station sites worldwide. This role combines deep technical engineering, hands-on project execution, and a strong sense of ownership. You’ll collaborate closely with and manage both internal teams and external partners to meet our ambitious timelines. We’re looking for a high-performing problem-solver with proven experience in delivering large-scale, fast-paced projects.

Responsibilities:

• Own business outcome of where we place sites, how they are designed, and how quickly we execute them.

• Develop site layouts and source hardware to integrate our antenna network, prioritizing speed, cost-effectiveness, and reliability.

• Analyze and trade different site locations, relating them back to critical business metrics (throughput, satellite talk time, costs, etc.).

• Build and maintain relationships with international partners, including network providers, contractors, and logistics teams.

• Travel to sites and support antenna deploys, applying learnings to improve deployment processes and speed.

• Support real-time operations, reviewing the health of network and antennas. Develop engineering solutions to improve our network reliability.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or science discipline

• 5+ years of relevant experience working in engineering, supply chain, or operations

• Willingness to travel to domestic and international ground station sites as required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to seamlessly switch between multiple engineering disciplines and collaborate cross-functionally with diverse support teams

• Ability to create and read electrical and mechanical drawings

• Hands-on field experience with proficiency in using basic tools

• Proven track record leading international projects, including logistics, regulatory, coordinating international contractors, and construction standards

• Understanding of electrical power and backup battery systems

• Knowledge of fiber network infrastructure and rack hardware

• Experience reviewing system telemetry as part of an operations or on-call rotation

• Demonstrated success executing large projects on tight timelines

• Ability to clearly communicate, track deadlines, and manage complex schedules

• Experience in building and maintaining dashboards or databases (e.g., PowerBI, SQL)

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a base-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, and technical capabilities. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long term incentives such as company stock, stock options, and cash awards, as well as discretionary bonus for performance. Northwood Space benefits include equity, health care, unlimited vacation, retirement savings and professional development.

Additional Information:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.