Distributed Systems Network Engineer – Space & Edge Infrastructure

West Coast - Remote (SF or LA Preferred)

Up to $120,000 + Equity

Aviation & Aerospace

Please note:

Unable to sponsor at this time. Not available for C2C.

An early‑stage technology company operating at the intersection of distributed systems, networking, and space infrastructure is building software that enables compute and data services across satellite and ground networks. The team is focused on developing reliable, production‑grade systems that operate in challenging environments with high latency, intermittent connectivity, and limited bandwidth.

This role focuses on building the networking foundations for a distributed system operating across both terrestrial and space‑based infrastructure.

• Design and implement network orchestration logic across a heterogeneous satellite and ground network.
• Develop solutions around routing, service placement and discovery, and capability advertisement across distributed nodes.
• Contribute to how protocols such as TCP/IP, DTN/HDTN, and CCSDS‑based systems are used and extended in high‑latency environments.
• Design and test federated downlink and communication logic across multiple ground stations.
• Build and validate network behavior using simulation environments and hardware‑in‑the‑loop testbeds.
• Define and test failure scenarios including packet loss, intermittent connectivity, and partial network partitions.
• Support real‑world system deployments and operational milestones.
• Collaborate with senior technical leadership on architecture design and system trade studies.

• 4+ years of hands‑on experience working with real‑world networking systems.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP behavior under latency and loss, routing and congestion control, network debugging, observability, and performance analysis, and Software‑Defined Networking (SDN).
• Experience designing, building, or operating distributed systems.
• Ability to reason about system reliability, scalability, and failure modes.
• Comfortable working in fast‑moving, early‑stage engineering environments.
• Strong ownership and execution mindset.

• Experience with DTN or HDTN protocols.
• Experience with satellite communications or space networking environments.
• Experience with ground station or RF communications networks.
• Experience with Kubernetes, service meshes, or distributed orchestration platforms.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or GCP.
• Exposure to aerospace, telecommunications, or other high‑reliability systems.
• Experience with optical communication links.
• Familiarity with network simulation tools such as OpNET or similar platforms.