Network Orchestration Architect

Company Overview

Iridium is an award-winning and innovative satellite communications company with bragging rights to the only network that offers voice and data connectivity anywhere in the world.   For over 20 years, Iridium’s unique network and services have supported critical communications needs for individuals, businesses, and the evolving Internet of Things.

At Iridium, we understand the importance of staying connected and the limitations of traditional communications networks. People across the globe, including first responders, humanitarians, global militaries, scientific researchers, and lone workers, as well as ships, aircraft and remote operations all rely on Iridium to stay connected. We take our responsibility for providing these essential communications very seriously and pride ourselves on offering a reliable lifeline when needed.  Likewise, Iridium is committed to providing an exciting and innovative workplace, where employees are challenged to think outside the box and collaborate on new, bold ideas and solutions.  Our talented teams are passionate about their work and the impact our company makes around the world.  Iridium fosters an empowering and inclusive culture that allows employees to genuinely be their best selves.   We are looking for others who want to join this truly unique company that celebrates our employees and provides the opportunity to truly make a difference in the world.

What We’re Looking For:

Iridium is seeking an experienced satellite Network Orchestration Architect with experience working on U.S. Government (USG) or commercial satellite programs to join our team and contribute to a Space Development Agency (SDA) project. As a Network Orchestration Architect for an innovative USG satellite program, you’ll work with senior technical and management colleagues, development teams and the customer to establish strategic plans and objectives as it relates to execution of this crucial satellite ground development program. In this role, you will focus on the overall technical solutions and integration of various technologies and operational demands. You will thrive in this role if you enjoy the challenge of new, emerging network orchestration technologies and their applications to new missions.

This position requires an active/current Secret Security Clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI (A U.S. Security Clearance that has been active in the past 24 months is considered active). 

What You’ll Do:

• Architect and design a robust and fault-tolerant network orchestration capability to support rapidly changing topologies, provide network routing control, and support dynamic bandwidth management while conforming to customer network specifications
• Be responsible for ensuring resolution of critical technical network orchestration architecture issues across program/project and product lifecycles 
• Build and manage network models and simulators that integrate operational products to inform network orchestration design
• Work independently to design and deploy scalable network devices, including automated route distribution methods using frameworks such as Netconf, Yang, and Ansible
• Contribute to the documentation necessary for the maintenance and operations of Network Infrastructure systems to support Local Area Networks and Government furnished Wide Area Networks, across multiple sites
• Guide multi-disciplinary technical development teams ranging in size from 5 to 20 engineers
• Support proposals/new business as the lead network architecture technical contributor
• Lead, communicate, and coordinate critical technical events, accomplishments, and issues to facilitate appropriate subject matter expert engagement
• Play a key role in providing technical assistance to Support-team related to network traffic congestion, latency issues, link outages, and System performance problems
• Ensure system architectures are following technical standards, effective engineering processes, mission assurance, design assurance, quality, audit, and internal integration, test and verification activities

What You’ll Need to Succeed:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related field
• 12+ years demonstrated Network Orchestration experience with a proven track record
• Strong communication, leadership and relationship-building skills to operate a solution-minded and efficient team while driving consensus across stakeholders
• Fluency with network products, services, protocols, and standards and experience transforming innovative network technologies into deployed capabilities, while meeting government security requirements
• Detailed knowledge of routing protocols and use of Netconf/YANG to manage MPLS networks
• Experience developing network architectures and network orchestration for a highly automated software centric system
• Be a creative and strategic thinker who demonstrates decisiveness and the ability to analyze a situation, generate and evaluate solutions, and provide constructive feedback to team members and management
• Experience in the design and creation of detailed network and data flow diagrams for presentation to various levels from experienced technical contributors to executive teams

Things That Would be Great if You Brought to the Table:

• Network Orchestration engineer certifications like Cisco's CCNA, CCNP Enterprise, CISSP, and CCIE, along with CompTIA Network+, and cloud-specific certifications like AWS Certified Advanced Networking and Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate, are highly valuable 
• Other Relevant Certifications that would be advantageous such as Juniper JNCIP, and JNCIA
• Government or commercial network and mission operations experience including procedure development, training, transition planning, installation, and deployment 
• Experience developing CONOPS / OPSCON for managing critical real-time satellite-based mesh networks
• Hands on experience necessary to manage and maintaining Juniper and/or Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and other vendors networking technologies
• Ability to provide real-time troubleshooting and problem resolution for escalated issues on a limited basis as required
• Competency in briefing engineering efforts to both internal and government customers
• Agile development experience
• Cost estimation experience

We’ll also need you to:

• Be available to support operations as a technical expert on an as-needed basis
• Be able to travel up to 10%
• Be a U.S. citizen

Work Environment:

This position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary with the majority of the position working with a computer. The role typically requires the use of basic office equipment such as a phone, video, computer, keyboard, mouse, and printer. 

Iridium is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.