Network Engineer – Distributed & Space Systems

Full Time | Bay Area

Build the Internet… in Space

This is not traditional networking.

You’ll be working on a system where satellites behave like a distributed cloud, not isolated hardware. The goal is to redefine how data moves in orbit, across spacecraft, and back to Earth.

If you’re someone who cares about how systems actually behave under pressure like latency, packet loss, and broken links, this is where things get interesting.

️ What You’ll Be Doing

• Architect and build networking logic across a live satellite constellation
• Design routing, service discovery, and orchestration for high-latency, failure-prone environments
• Define how TCP/IP, DTN/HDTN, and CCSDS protocols operate in space
• Develop multi-ground-station downlink strategies
• Test and validate systems in simulation + hardware-in-the-loop environments
• Model and solve real-world failure cases:
  • Packet loss
  • Intermittent connectivity
  • Network partitions
• Contribute directly to on-orbit deployments and flight missions
• Work closely with leadership on core architecture decisions

What You Bring

• 4+ years working with real-world networking systems
• Strong understanding of:
  • TCP/IP under latency and loss
  • Routing + congestion control
  • Network debugging and observability
  • Software Defined Networking (SDN)
• Experience building or running distributed systems
• Ability to think critically about:
  • Failure modes
  • Scaling challenges
  • System behaviour in non-ideal conditions
• Comfortable in a fast-moving, early-stage environment

Nice to Have

• DTN / HDTN or satellite communications experience
• Ground station or space systems exposure
• Kubernetes, service meshes, or cloud infrastructure (AWS / GCP)
• Network simulation tools (OpNET, ns-3, etc.)
• Python or similar

Why This Role

• Work on real systems that operate in orbit, not just theory
• Solve problems most engineers never touch
• High ownership, high impact, and direct access to leadership
• Be part of building the next generation of space infrastructure

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Tom Wibberley