Ground Station Systems Software Engineer

About Lynk

Lynk is the inventor of satellite direct to device or D2D technology, and has the world’s only commercial license from the FCC to operate a commercial D2D system. Today, Lynk allows mobile network operators' subscribers to send and receive text messages to and from space via standard unmodified, mobile devices. Lynk’s service has been tested and proven on all seven continents, has regulatory approvals in more than 30 countries and is currently being deployed commercially based on more than 40 MNO commercial service contracts covering approximately 50 countries.

Our technology will enable all 8 billion people on the planet to stay connected with the existing standard phone in their pocket. Everywhere. No matter what.

By joining Lynk, you will have the opportunity to directly touch the lives of billions. Your mission will be to bring mobile broadband to billions, pull hundreds of millions out of poverty, and save countless lives.

Job Summary

Lynk is looking for a Ground Station Systems Software Engineer to join the Mission Operations team. This role is responsible for developing, integrating, deploying, and maintaining the software systems that support Lynk’s ground station network and connect those systems into the broader Mission Operations Software environment.

This is a hands-on software engineering role focused on ground station software, network interfaces, automation, telemetry, monitoring and control, infrastructure as code, and operational reliability. The engineer will work closely[1] with Mission Operations, ground site engineering, telecom engineering, flight software, and external ground site partners to ensure Lynk’s ground stations can be operated reliably and scaled efficiently as the constellation grows.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working across software, Linux systems, networking, DevOps, telemetry, and operational infrastructure. This role is best suited for someone who enjoys building practical software that supports real-world mission operations.

Core Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain software systems used to monitor, control, configure, and support Lynk ground station infrastructure.
• Develop software interfaces between ground station equipment, network services, Mission Operations Software, and Mission Operations Center tools.
• Support the deployment and integration of new and upgraded ground stations into Lynk’s operational environment.
• Build maintainable software patterns that support repeatable ground station deployment, configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Ground Station Network, Telemetry, and Operations Software

• Develop and maintain software and infrastructure-as-code approaches for ground station systems and network-connected services.
• Support integration with network equipment, modems, RF systems, monitoring systems, and other ground segment infrastructure.
• Integrate ground station systems with command and control tools, telemetry systems, dashboards, alerting systems, and operational workflows.
• Build and maintain tools for collection, processing, analysis, and visualization of satellite and ground system telemetry.
• Troubleshoot issues that span software, networks, hardware interfaces, and operational workflows.

DevOps, Automation, and Reliability

• Implement DevOps practices for ground station software development, testing, deployment, configuration management, and release management.
• Automate ground station software deployment, configuration, monitoring, and recovery processes where practical.
• Improve reliability through better observability, alerting, logging, metrics, documentation, and repeatable deployment practices.
• Maintain technical and operational documentation, including architecture diagrams, troubleshooting guides, deployment notes, and system health reporting.
• Provide occasional on-call or off-hours support when required for mission-critical operations.

During Your First 12 Months

• Ground Station Software Proficiency: Develop a strong understanding of Lynk’s ground station architecture, software services, network interfaces, telemetry flows, and Mission Operations Software integration points.
• Operational Support: Become a reliable technical point of contact for ground station software and network-related troubleshooting, anomaly investigation, and incident recovery.
• Deployment and Configuration Improvements: Improve the repeatability and reliability of ground station software deployment and configuration management.
• Monitoring and Observability: Deliver meaningful improvements to ground station monitoring, alerting, telemetry visualization, logging, and health reporting.
• Automation and Reliability: Identify and implement automation that reduces manual operational burden, improves ground station availability, and supports constellation growth.

Technical Environment

• Preferred Languages: Rust and Python
• Frontend: React
• Infrastructure & Deployment: AWS, Proxmox / on-prem environments, Terraform, Ansible, Packer, and GitLab CI/CD pipelines
• Development Practices: AI-augmented development workflows, log-based diagnostics, infrastructure as code, Linux-centric development, and operationally focused software development for high-availability systems

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience developing, deploying, maintaining, or supporting software systems used in operational infrastructure environments.
• Strong working knowledge of Linux environments.
• Experience developing software tools, services, scripts, or applications, preferably in Rust and/or Python.
• Experience with networking concepts such as TCP/IP, routing, VPNs, firewalls, DNS, network monitoring, and secure remote access.
• Experience with DevOps practices such as CI/CD, infrastructure as code, configuration management, automated deployment, monitoring, and logging.
• Ability to troubleshoot systems that span software, networks, hardware interfaces, and operational workflows.
• Strong documentation habits, including architecture documentation, operational procedures, troubleshooting guides, and technical decision records.
• Interest in satellite operations, ground systems, mission operations, telecommunications, or space systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with satellite ground systems, ground station networks, RF ground equipment, modem systems, antenna systems, or mission operations software.
• Experience developing monitoring and control systems for remote infrastructure.
• Experience with telemetry collection, processing, visualization, alerting, or time-series data systems.
• Experience with AWS or hybrid cloud/on-prem infrastructure.
• Experience with observability tools such as Grafana, Prometheus, Loki, OpenTelemetry, CloudWatch, ELK/OpenSearch, or similar.
• Experience supporting high-availability operational systems.
• Experience working in a startup, small engineering team, satellite operator, telecom operator, network operations center, mission operations center, or similarly fast-moving technical environment.

ITAR Requirements

To comply with U.S. Government export control regulations (ITAR), applicants must be one of the following: (i) a U.S. citizen or national, (ii) a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158. Individuals who do not meet these criteria must be eligible to obtain the necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please refer to the ITAR guidelines.

Learn about ITAR here. https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987

Location

Chantilly. VA