Principal Systems Engineer - Algorithms and Systems

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we’re on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We’re looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

Join a fast-paced team within Viasat’s Government as a Principal Systems Engineer. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical leader for advanced communication and sensing systems. You will:

• Lead system-level architecture, design, and analysis for advanced communication and sensing systems, ensuring robust performance across diverse mission scenarios.
• Lead the development and validation of algorithms in signal processing, digital communications, and control/estimation for mission‑critical applications.
• Drive waveform design and adaptation, including trade studies and performance analysis to shape innovative solutions for emerging technologies.
• Collaborate across disciplines—including systems engineering (requirements), firmware, software, and integration & test—to deliver integrated solutions from concept through deployment.
• Provide technical direction across programs: define technical roadmaps, identify risk areas early, and guide mitigation strategies to keep development aligned with customer and stakeholder needs.

You’ll be at the center of algorithmic development and system integration for complex systems. Your responsibilities will include:

• Translating mission objectives into end-to-end technical solutions, ensuring alignment with requirements and performance goals.
• Leading modeling and simulation efforts to support architecture decisions, system trades, performance prediction, and optimization.
• Guiding algorithm implementation in firmware and software, bridging theoretical models with practical deployment.
• Participating in system bring‑up and integration, troubleshooting and optimizing performance during hardware/software integration phases.
• Partnering with analysis and requirements teams to maintain consistency and traceability throughout the development lifecycle.
• Mentoring engineers and leading technical reviews to strengthen engineering rigor and elevate team execution.

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline, with emphasis on Control Theory, Signal Processing, and/or Digital Communications.
• 15+ years of experience in algorithmic system design, modeling/simulation, and deployment for complex systems.
• Proficiency in programming for algorithm development and simulation (e.g., C/C++, MATLAB, Python).
• Deep expertise in RF systems and waveform design, including trade studies and performance analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to perform system‑level analysis, translating high‑level requirements into actionable technical designs and implementation plans.
• Strong communication skills, capable of delivering technical briefings and collaborating across multi‑disciplinary teams.
• U.S. Government position: U.S. citizenship required.
• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance within the last 2 years required, and willingness to travel up to 25%.

• Hands‑on experience with digital hardware platforms (processors, memory, FPGAs/CPLDs, microcontrollers, networking interfaces).
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes, including requirements flow‑down, verification, and validation.
• Experience collaborating with geographically distributed teams, driving integration across hardware, software, and algorithmic domains.
• Background in modeling and simulation tools supporting trade studies and performance optimization for complex system architectures.
• TS/SCI or SAP access (if applicable to program needs).

$ - $ / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $- $/ annually.

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as…