Mission Architect - Space Communications Systems

Vantor is unleashing a more autonomous, interoperable world. Forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, we empower decision makers and operators with the clarity they need to navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Our AI-powered spatial intelligence platform fuses data from the world’s highest-resolution satellites with real-time sensor feeds from space, air, and ground to create the most accurate living digital replica of Earth. Vantor is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado.

We are hiring a mid-career Mission Architect – Communications Systems to join our Spacewrx team in Westminster, CO. The role will help define, architect, and optimize next-generation satellite missions. This role sits at the intersection of customer needs, mission design, space systems engineering, and communications architecture. You will work across engineering disciplines to translate customer objectives into technically feasible, operationally effective mission concepts and system architectures.

The ideal candidate understands how mission requirements drive design decisions for spacecraft, payloads, the ground segment, and communications systems. You are comfortable making system-level trades, evaluating technical and operational risks, and balancing performance, schedule, cost, and regulatory constraints. You combine strong RF communications knowledge, practical satellite development experience, and the ability to communicate effectively with customers, operators, and engineering teams.

Unlike traditional spacecraft prime contractors, we do not simply deliver spacecraft and move on. We own and operate our missions throughout their operational lifetimes. Mission Architects remain engaged well beyond development, influencing mission evolution, operational performance, future capabilities, and follow-on architectures. This creates opportunities to develop expertise across adjacent technical domains and contribute wherever your skills, interests, and business needs align.

We operate with a small, highly collaborative team where ownership matters more than organizational boundaries. Engineers who are willing to grab a shovel, solve problems outside their immediate specialty, and help the team succeed will thrive here. We currently have multiple satellite development programs underway, including two funded spacecraft programs in active execution and additional mission concepts progressing behind them. This role offers the opportunity to shape both near-term flight systems and the next generation of mission capabilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in satellite communications, space systems engineering, mission architecture, systems engineering, or related technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience developing and evaluating RF communications architectures for satellite systems.
• Strong understanding of RF link budget development, performance analysis, and communications system trades.
• Working knowledge of communications hardware commonly used in LEO satellite systems, including:
  • RF transmitters and receivers
  • Antennas and antenna subsystems
  • Gimbals and pointing systems
  • Modems and communications electronics
• Ability to evaluate mission-level communications performance and translate customer objectives into executable system architectures.
• Experience performing architecture trades involving coverage, throughput, latency, availability, resiliency, spacecraft resources, and operational constraints.
• Understanding of RF spectrum management and regulatory processes, including:
  • FCC licensing
  • ITU filings and coordination
  • Spectrum allocation and assignment processes
  • Interference analysis and mitigation considerations
• Familiarity with LEO satellite communications architectures and operational concepts.
• Ability to work effectively across spacecraft, payload, ground, operations, and business teams.
• Strong technical communication skills with customers, operators, leadership, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrated ownership mentality and willingness to solve problems outside traditional role boundaries when mission success requires it.
• Ability to apply for and obtain a Top Secret USG security clearance after hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as a Mission Architect, Chief Systems Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, Communications Architect, or similar technical leadership role.
• Direct experience with small satellite or LEO constellation development programs.
• Experience designing, analyzing, or operating inter-satellite crosslink architectures.
• Experience with optical communications systems, optical terminals, or hybrid RF/optical network architectures.
• Experience supporting spacecraft development through integration, test, launch, commissioning, and on-orbit operations.
• Direct on-orbit operational experience with satellite communications systems.
• Experience developing mission concepts and architectures from early customer engagement through operational deployment.
• Experience with communications security architectures, encryption standards, key management concepts, and secure satellite communications systems.
• Familiarity with commercial, civil, national security, or defense communications security requirements and implementation considerations.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft Command and Data Handling (C&DH) architectures, telemetry, command processing, onboard networking, data routing, and storage systems.
• Experience evaluating interfaces and tradeoffs between communications subsystems, spacecraft avionics, payload systems, and mission operations.
• Understanding of spacecraft resource management, including power, thermal, pointing, command and data handling, and network performance impacts on communications architectures.
• Experience with commercial, civil, national security, or defense space missions.
• Familiarity with mission analysis, communications modeling, simulation, and digital engineering environments.
• Active U.S. Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

What Success Looks Like

• Translate customer objectives into practical, executable mission architectures.
• Drive communications architecture decisions across spacecraft, payload, ground, and operational systems.
• Perform mission-level trades that optimize performance, operational effectiveness, resiliency, cost, and schedule.
• Shape communications strategies for current flight programs and future mission concepts.
• Partner closely with engineering teams while remaining technically engaged in implementation and execution.
• Contribute beyond your primary specialty area as opportunities arise and mission priorities evolve.
• Help build a culture of ownership, technical excellence, speed, collaboration, and practical problem solving.

This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys operating at the intersection of customer needs, mission design, RF communications, satellite systems, and mission operations while maintaining meaningful involvement throughout the full lifecycle of operational space missions.

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