IT Solutions Engineer

Overview

Umbra is an American space technology company delivering advanced systems, from sensors to spacecraft, that empower customers worldwide with unmatched access to critical information from space. Our mission is simple and ambitious: redefine space—for people, systems, and missions in every domain. Umbra’s ecosystem operates through three business units:
Remote Sensing (the data), Space Systems (the components), and Mission Solutions (the platforms). Together, our teams develop capabilities that deliver persistent access, resilient performance, and mission-ready solutions, advancing U.S. space leadership while keeping the world safe and informed.

About the Job

Umbra is seeking an IT Solutions Engineer – Lab Systems to serve as the connective layer between our enterprise IT infrastructure and the Space Systems pre-launch test and simulation environments. This role is the first member of a new Solutions Engineering function under IT — a team dedicated to integrating IT-managed systems into mission-critical development and testing infrastructure.

The ideal candidate is part systems administrator, part lab systems engineer: someone who understands how to bridge enterprise IT standards with hands-on hardware support in a dynamic, R&D-heavy environment. You’ll be embedded with the Space Systems engineering teams to manage and evolve the computing, networking, and systems administration layer supporting Umbra’s pre-launch and in-orbit simulation platforms.

Your mission will be to support the deployment of, administer, and maintain the infrastructure layer supporting Umbra’s Space Systems Infrastructure landscape, including but not limited to:
Flatsat and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test environments — ensuring that Space Systems engineers can reliably execute development, integration, and regression testing across distributed lab systems.

You will operate at the intersection of IT Core Infrastructure and Space Systems engineering, maintaining physical and virtual environments that enable simulation, telemetry, and networked subsystem testing.

This position is based on-site in our Santa Barbara/Goleta, CA office.

Systems Administration & Infrastructure Support

• Deploy, manage, and maintain test and simulation servers, engineering workstations, RF systems, and networked lab resources across multiple simulation environments.
• Administer Linux/Windows-based hosts and NUCs used for telemetry, CI builds, and mission simulation.
• Configure and monitor remote log-in and development access, VPN tunnels, and authenticated user sessions for engineering teams.
• Coordinate with Umbra’s IT Infrastructure team to ensure compliance with CMMC and FedRAMP controls for systems operating in hybrid lab/production networks.

Lab Systems Integration

• Build and maintain Ethernet and RF-based test networks linking simulator nodes, OBCs, Spectral net systems, and downlink/collect switch networks.
• Support and troubleshoot hardware-in-the-loop test environments, including device connectivity and IP-based power control systems.
• Work with Space Systems Hardware Engineering to support integration of new simulation configurations.
• Maintain accurate network and system documentation, including IP address maps, PSU channel configurations, and RF switch control tables as seen in the simulation design reference & Diagrams.

Automation & Dev Ops Support

• Collaborate with the Flight Software team to integrate CI/CD pipelines into lab hardware, ensuring nightly regressions and system builds run seamlessly.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts for system provisioning, environment resets, and network reconfiguration.

Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain endpoint management and monitoring aligned with Umbra’s IT policies.
• Work with Compliance and Security teams to ensure all lab systems adhere to data-handling standards.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Hardware Test Infrastructure Engineers to delineate responsibilities:
• HW Engineers: schematic/drawing creation, electrical test equipment, physical integration.
• IT Solutions Engineer: environment provisioning, connectivity, system health, and network administration.

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