Solutions Architect

Job Title: Sr Principal Solutions Architect Job Description This Sr Principal Solutions Architect role focuses on designing and guiding advanced satellite ground systems and related networking infrastructure for mission-critical government and defense communications. You will join a highly skilled System Architecture team responsible for creating key technologies and platforms that underpin future hardware and software products. The position requires deep theoretical understanding of satellite communications and networking, as well as the ability to translate complex concepts into practical architectural and high-level design documents that engineering teams can implement. This role offers the opportunity to act as a subject matter expert, drive architectural vision, and influence product strategy in a collaborative environment with the option of a remote work schedule. Responsibilities

- Contribute to the overall architectural vision and help define customer-driven objectives for adopting next-generation terrestrial, cellular, wireless, and satellite waveforms and propagation schemes, including standards such as DVB-S2X.
- Perform systems engineering and architecture development that integrates new and emerging technologies into the company’s solution portfolio for satellite-based IP communications.
- Integrate complex technology components—including RF systems, interference mitigation techniques, networking and routing, network management, and monitoring—into cohesive, usable solutions suitable for non-satellite expert user communities.
- Produce mathematical simulations of communication channels to evaluate channel improvement measures such as pre-distortion and pre-coding, and to optimize overall satellite communication system efficiency, including interference mitigation and cancellation, successive interference cancellation, multiuser detection (MUD), and phased array antenna techniques across both space and ground segments.
- Lead the design of enhancements for adaptive TDMA, SCPC, DAMA, and IoT return channels, including modeling and designing control loops and algorithms suitable for real-time embedded system implementation.
- Participate in relevant standards bodies to ensure that proposed standards impacting the company’s products are technically sound and aligned with organizational interests.
- Collaborate closely with customers, business development partners, and executive leadership to shape innovative advancements in the product line and ensure architectural solutions meet strategic needs.
- Build and maintain customer confidence by demonstrating integrity, thought leadership, clear technical communication, effective problem solving, capability demonstrations, and structured requirements negotiations.
- Author internal and external technical documents, including design specifications, technical reports, white papers, and technology overviews that clearly explain complex concepts.
- Facilitate collaboration with platform teams and other engineering functions to resolve system design issues and ensure architectural consistency across products.
- Maintain a high level of awareness of competitive developments, industry technological trends, and complementary third-party technologies, and incorporate relevant advances into architectural roadmaps.
- Lead technical discussions for new features, drive consensus among stakeholders, and document outcomes in the form of designs, models, and requirements.
- Mentor junior technical contributors and work closely with Sr engineering specialists on top-down and bottom-up design and configuration for RF and microwave communication and monitoring systems.
- Manage solution delivery for assigned projects, ensuring architectures are implemented on schedule, within budget, and with the required quality and performance.
- Plan and perform RF link budget analyses, cascade analyses, functional decomposition, and trade studies to support subsystem specifications and provide recommendations for hardware, firmware, and software design.

Essential Skills

- At least 7+ years of Solution Architecture experience, with a strong track record of leading complex system designs.
- Approximately 20+ years of related software and system solution development experience in communications or closely related domains.
- Hands-on experience with provider-level networking systems, including cellular, telecom, and satellite networks.
- Demonstrated ability to learn and innovate in the field of software defined radio (SDR) links and apply SDR concepts to real-world systems.
- Proven experience architecting solutions that span both high-power computing platforms and embedded hardware platforms.
- Experience architecting or designing software applications based on microservices architectures, including deployment using containers such as Docker and orchestrators such as Kubernetes.
- Strong knowledge of satellite communications concepts, satellite ground systems, and related networking infrastructure.
- Familiarity with networking protocols and standards, including IPv4 and IPv6, and the ability to incorporate them into robust architectures.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for conveying complex technical information to diverse audiences.
- Experience authoring technical documents and white papers that clearly articulate architectures, design decisions, and technology trade-offs.
- Ability to lead technical discussions for new features, drive consensus among cross-functional stakeholders, and capture outcomes in the form of designs, models, and requirements.
- Comfort working closely with Sr engineering specialists and mentoring junior engineers in RF and microwave communication and monitoring systems.
- Experience managing delivery of architectural solutions, including schedule, budget, and quality oversight for complex engineering projects.
- Ability to plan and execute RF link budget analyses, cascade analyses, functional decomposition, and trade studies to support subsystem specifications and design recommendations.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Experience with VSAT waveforms and related technologies is highly desirable.
- Experience architecting, designing, and testing systems and fixtures in a multidisciplinary environment, including developing and writing software for test and integration using languages such as Go, NodeJS, C, C++, C#, SystemC, LabView, and Python.
- Knowledge of web services and RESTful APIs, including API design and system-to-system interface design.
- Familiarity with cloud-native architectures, including Kubernetes, containerization, and modern cloud deployment practices.
- Exposure to Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) concepts and their application in secure communications systems.
- Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware and KVM.
- Knowledge of public and private cloud platforms such as AWS, OpenStack, Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Prior participation in or collaboration with industry standards bodies related to communications or networking.
- Experience with communication signal interference mitigation, interference removal, and anti-jam techniques is beneficial.
- Experience in phased array antenna techniques and multiuser detection (MUD) approaches is an advantage.
- Experience working in environments focused on secure, mission-critical government or defense communications is a plus.

Work Environment The role is based in Herndon, VA, with the option for a remote work schedule, offering flexibility while maintaining strong collaboration with a highly capable engineering organization. You will work within a System Architecture team that develops advanced satellite-based IP communications technologies, including secure and bandwidth-efficient platforms trusted for mission-critical government and military applications. The environment emphasizes innovation, integration, and intelligence in satellite ground systems, RF communications, interference mitigation, and complex networking. You will regularly interact with cross-functional engineering teams, business development partners, and executive leadership, contributing to a culture that values thought leadership, integrity, and technical excellence. The organization is recognized as a leader in government satellite communications and has been named one of the best places to work in the Greater Washington, D.C. area for multiple consecutive years, reflecting a strong focus on employee engagement and a supportive, high-performance culture.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Herndon, VA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $200000.00 - $240000.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. will get updated benefits!
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Herndon,VA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 25, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
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San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
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