Senior AI&T Engineer - Special Test Equipment (STE)

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.

Viasat's Space Infrastructure Team designs, builds, and operates satellites that deliver global connectivity in demanding environments. Your work within the integration and test team will directly impact payload performance, schedule, and onorbit mission success.

This role is for a Senior AI&T (Assembly Integration and Test) Engineer focusing on Payload Special Test Equipment (STE).

You will own the end-to-end STE strategy for space-based communications payloads, serving as the technical authority for all payload STE infrastructure. This role leads the architecture and implementation of STE across development, qualification, and flight builds, ensuring test systems are robust, scalable, and flight-ready from early development through launch.

Working closely with the product design team, you will interpret unit, module, and payload-level requirements and translate them into comprehensive verification strategies. This includes developing test plans, designing and integrating test equipment, and delivering automated test and checkout procedures that enable reliable, repeatable validation of payload performance and readiness.

Architecture & Requirements: Define and maintain STE architecture for RF, digital, telemetry, timing, and power; derive STE requirements from payload specs/functionality, and create verification plans

Development & Integration: Lead development of hardware, software, harnessing, interface electronics, and automation; establish checkout flows from unit subsystem payload

Operations & Readiness: Select/integrate COTS vs. custom instrumentation; review/approve readiness and certification procedures; support environmental testing and launch ops

Reliability & Governance: Lead anomaly investigations; maintain configuration control and documentation

• 8+ years of experience in STE design supporting space-qualified hardware
• Demonstrated experience architecting or leading complex test systems for payload or satellite
• Strong understanding of communications payload and satellite subsystems
• Hands-on experience with payload or satellite STE through integration.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and lead technical discussions under pressure.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
• U.S. citizenship required
• Ability to travel up to 10%

• Demonstrated ownership of complex systems from concept through execution
• Experience supporting environmental tests and launch campaigns.
• Experience building scalable, multi-bay checkout systems rather than one-off lab benches
• Proficiency in Python, C#, C++, or similar languages for automation
• Familiarity with vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, and noise figure measurement systems
• Working knowledge of telemetry architecture and high-speed digital interfaces

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.