Principal Ground Infrastructure Deployment Lead

About Elveo Elveo is what happens when two pioneers in direct-to-device (D2D) communications join forces. Elveo brings together a combined 20 years of expertise to close the coverage gap for more than 50 mobile network operators (MNOs) and major distribution partners operating in 60+ countries worldwide. That heritage and our technology powers what we call ‘elevated intelligence’ — a new approach that processes and adapts on orbit, delivering voice and data services straight to mobile users, IoT devices and machines across enterprise, government and humanitarian sectors worldwide. As a team, we’re on a mission to deliver powerful compute and connectivity directly to individuals and objects everywhere on Earth. Join us, and become part of a globally inclusive company that is transforming satellite communications from a niche service to an essential global infrastructure, and democratizing connectivity for billions worldwide. Ready to take the next step? Join us.

Job Summary: Lead the technical execution and operational qualification of Elveo’s global ground station deployment program, translating the engineering-owned standard design into repeatable deployments across a global network of ground stations over the next two to three years. Own the cross-site implementation plan, teleport-provider technical coordination, deployment readiness, FAT/SAT/OSAT framework, vendor delivery accountability, and operational handover. Partner with Ground Station Systems Engineering, Ground Systems Software, Ground Site Operations, Mission Operations, Telecom, vendors, and external site partners to deliver multiple sites in parallel. Provide deployment-driven design input, resolve site-specific constraints, and ensure engineering packages are complete, coordinated, and approved before execution. This is a senior individual contributor and cross-functional lead role. Success requires technical authority, deployment ownership, ambiguity resolution, partner accountability, and timely escalation of decisions before they become schedule problems. The role should reduce deployment variability over time while preserving site-specific technical rigor. Role Scope and Interfaces: Ground Station Systems Engineering owns the scalable GS design, technical requirements, RFP technical content, final technical architecture, link budget methodology, detailed RF/network design, NOC support model, Level 1/Level 2 procedures, development of the GS engineering function, and long-term technical ownership of the design. The Deployment Lead reviews designs for deployability, recommends improvements, and coordinates site adaptations; technical changes and deviations require approval from the engineering owner. The Deployment Lead owns the deployment execution model, cross-site implementation plan, vendor technical accountability, survey and civil works coordination, FAT/SAT/OSAT framework, readiness gates, risk reduction, and handover completeness.

• Lead readiness reviews and hold progression at a gate when required evidence is incomplete. Engineering approves technical conformity and deviations; the receiving operations owner accepts support responsibility and operational risks within their authority.

• Coordinate and oversee field installation teams and contractors, with travel for critical reviews, commissioning, and acceptance.

• Routine physical installation, MOC/NOC procedure authorship, Level 1/Level 2 support model ownership, and long-term management of GS engineers are outside this role’s core responsibilities.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead site evaluation and teleport engagement with engineering and operations teams, balancing coverage, antenna placement, masking, RF interference, backhaul, infrastructure, cost, expansion capacity, and deployment schedule.

• Define and coordinate required site surveys with engineering and qualified providers; track findings through design decisions, corrective actions, and deployment readiness.

• Lead teleport-provider technical coordination and hold vendors accountable for deliverables, quality, readiness, support commitments, and escalation paths. Provide technical input to procurement and legal on scopes of work, contracts, and SLAs.

• Own the integrated deployment plan across all sites, including milestones, dependencies, procurement, logistics, contractor mobilization, installation coordination, commissioning, budget tracking, cost-risk visibility, and recovery planning.

• Coordinate permitting, licensing, spectrum approvals, civil works, power, grounding/lightning protection, environmental provisions, backhaul, and site access with responsible specialists and site partners. Verify readiness before installation begins.

• Establish repeatable deployment processes, readiness gates, risk registers, and reporting that make site progress, blockers, costs, decisions, and corrective actions visible across the rollout.

• Ensure site-specific engineering packages are complete, approved, and executable before construction and installation. Review designs for constructability, maintainability, logistics, and local constraints; resolve discrepancies with the engineering owner and control changes to approved baselines.

• Own the FAT/SAT/OSAT framework, test planning, acceptance evidence, discrepancy tracking, and required sign-offs. Ensure deficiencies are resolved or formally dispositioned before handover.

• Coordinate installation, integration, commissioning, and acceptance across field teams, engineering, software, vendors, and site partners. Verify prerequisites, approved configurations, resource availability, and completion evidence before advancing gates.

• Own the operational handover package and readiness review, including as-built records, configurations, acceptance evidence, spares, maintenance arrangements, support contacts, and training coordination. Obtain engineering sign-off and receiving-operations acceptance before recommending entry into service.

During Your First 12 Months:

• Establish and execute an integrated rollout plan for the initial sites and subsequent deployment waves, with clear owners, budgets, dependencies, readiness gates, and escalation paths.

• Deliver planned sites into service through the FAT/SAT/OSAT framework, with completed civil works, approved engineering, documented acceptance evidence, resolved or formally dispositioned discrepancies, and formal operational handover.

• Build a repeatable deployment playbook using the engineering-owned standard design and BOM, survey scopes, contractor work packages, procurement and logistics plans, and site readiness checklists.

• Implement a reporting cadence that identifies critical-path risks, resource conflicts, cost exposure, and decisions needed to sustain parallel deployments.

• Apply lessons from the first installations to improve later deployment waves, reduce rework, and strengthen schedule and cost predictability.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years in satellite ground segment, teleport, SATCOM, or comparable distributed operational infrastructure, including substantial responsibility for technical deployment leadership, systems integration, and acceptance.

• Demonstrated success delivering multiple infrastructure sites in parallel, coordinating engineering, site partners, contractors, procurement, logistics, commissioning, and operational readiness.

• Strong technical vendor and partner leadership experience, with a track record of resolving cross-disciplinary issues and driving accountability across internal and external teams.

• Sufficient technical depth in antenna/RF systems, networking, power, grounding, site infrastructure, and remote operations to challenge survey scopes, recognize incomplete designs, and engage engineering specialists effectively.

• Familiarity with licensing, permitting, spectrum coordination, civil works, and the regulatory environment for satellite communications.

• Experience managing integrated deployment schedules, budget tracking, procurement and international logistics dependencies, and contractor/vendor commitments. Willingness to travel internationally for critical site reviews, installation oversight, commissioning, and acceptance activities.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical, operational, vendor, and schedule risks into clear decision-ready updates.

• Demonstrated ability to establish deployment processes in an immature environment, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and drive accountability across teams without direct reporting authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior technical leadership of teleport, ground station, antenna, satellite gateway, or SATCOM infrastructure deployments.

• Experience with GSaaS providers, teleport operators, satellite operators, telecom operators, or managed network service providers.

• Experience developing FAT/SAT/OSAT frameworks and leading systems qualification, test evidence reviews, discrepancy resolution, and operational handover.

• Experience scaling a repeatable infrastructure rollout across countries or regions, including local contractors, customs, regulatory dependencies, and support.

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. Job Location: Chantilly, VA