Senior Field Service Engineer, Gateway Operations & Engineering Field Service

The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

 

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

The Senior Field Service Engineer (SFSE) is a highly experienced individual contributor responsible for the endtoend technical execution, sustainment, and optimization of SES gateway and Tier1 customer ground systems. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and serves as a technical authority in the field, leading complex installations, commissioning activities, system upgrades, and fault resolution efforts across global sites.

In addition to handson field engineering, the Senior FSE plays a critical role in crossfunctional troubleshooting, mentoring junior engineers informally, improving field processes, and contributing to nextgeneration gateway and network initiatives (GEO, MEO, LEO, Microsoft EOS). The role regularly interfaces with Satellite Operations, Payload Engineering, and Network Engineering teams and provides expertlevel support during escalations and major incidents.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

• Lead complex installation, commissioning, and upgrade activities for SES gateway stations and Tier‑1 customer terminals, including RF, baseband, networking, and monitoring systems.
• Act as the senior technical authority on‑site, making real‑time engineering decisions during deployments, incidents, and maintenance windows.
• Independently execute and oversee site surveys, producing detailed design input, risk assessments, and readiness evaluations.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting of satellite and ground system anomalies, including root cause analysis and permanent corrective actions.
• Provide Tier‑3 field engineering support during outages, degradations, and critical customer issues.
• Serve as a primary field escalation point for the Satellite Operations Centre, Payload Engineers, and remote monitoring teams. [.
• Drive stabilization and recovery efforts for high‑availability systems at manned and unmanned facilities.
• Support on‑call rotations and emergency field response activities as required.
• Develop, review, and refine field engineering procedures, installation standards, and operational documentation.
• Author and maintain as‑built documentation, acceptance reports, and post‑incident analyses with a high standard of technical clarity.
• Identify recurring issues and recommend design, tooling, or process improvements to Engineering and Operations leadership.
• Contribute expert input into nextgeneration system designs, deployment strategies, and technology evaluations
• Act as a technical mentor to Field Service Engineers by sharing best practices, troubleshooting approaches, and system knowledge (non‑managerial).
• Work across organizational boundaries with Network Engineering, Spacecraft Payload Engineering, Logistics, and external vendors to ensure successful deployments.
• Represent Field Engineering expertise in cross‑functional technical reviews and operational readiness discussions.

COMPETENCIES

• Expert ability to work independently and autonomously in the field
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting mindset for complex RF, networking, and system‑level issues
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including high‑quality technical reporting and presentations
• Comfortable operating under pressure and during mission‑critical events
• Demonstrated effectiveness working across cultures, geographies, and organizational boundaries
• High aptitude for continuous technical learning and adaptation to evolving satellite technologies

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Master's or bachelor's degree in engineering, electronics, telecommunications, aeronautics, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of experience in the satellite and/or telecommunications industry
• 8+ years hands‑on experience designing, deploying, commissioning, or maintaining satellite terminal systems and ground infrastructure
• Expert knowledge of satellite communications RF systems, baseband systems, and network management platforms
• Proven experience supporting high‑availability, mission‑critical systems across geographically distributed sites
• Strong understanding of satellite architectures
• VSAT and Ka‑Band experience strongly preferred
• Solid working knowledge of IP routing, networking, and familiarity with scripting or software tools is a plus
• Advanced troubleshooting and fault isolation skills
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio)
• Fluency in English (additional languages advantageous)

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• Ability to travel internationally up to 50%
• Participation in on‑call and after‑hours support rotation
• Ability to work effectively in remote, customer‑facing, and operationally sensitive environments