Mechanical Engineer- Fleet Operations & Reliability

About the company

Northwood Space builds vertically integrated ground infrastructure systems that support the next generation of satellite and orbital space operations.

About this role

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it. Role: Northwood is building a global network of next-generation ground stations, and we're looking for a Fleet Operations & Reliability Engineer who is equal parts technical expert, field operator, and builder. You will be the first line of defense for all operations on our network - the extreme owner of uptime and performance for our deployed hardware worldwide. Your work will span most technical disciplines at the company giving you broad technical exposure across the stack, and will require you to build consensus across multiple teams. Day-to-day, you'll move between operating our hardware - interpreting live telemetry, driving incident response, analyzing performance data - and leading field campaigns to deploy, diagnose, and upgrade hardware at remote sites. As you build deep knowledge of our systems, you'll be positioned to drive scalable, automated monitoring and response systems. This position is based at our Los Angeles headquarters with frequent opportunities to travel to sites. Responsibilities: - Own fleet uptime and performance. Deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot a growing network of antennas distributed across the globe. Write your own analyses to dig into performance trends and uptime data. - Operate and grow our Network Operations Center. Monitor site health, interpret telemetry, send commands and configurations, and drive rapid detection and response for any site or hardware issue. Build the systems that enable response at scale. - Support the rapid expansion of the network by leading hardware deployment campaigns at remote sites around the world. Act as the on-site conductor and POC for hardware deployments and site checkouts. Owning the process from pre-deploy through first contact. Lead from the front in the field. - Investigate and troubleshoot, then close the loop. Drive root cause analysis on failures and implement fixes that reduce future recurrence. Develop deep expertise in at least one major subsystem — RF, power, networking, or mechanical. - Scale our global contractor ecosystem. Source, contract, and onboard regional partners across domestic and international sites — including maintenance agreements, SLAs, onboarding guides, and ongoing task coordination. Define maintenance and sparing strategies. - Partner closely with product, manufacturing, and test teams to influence designs with a focus on system reliability, maintainability, and long-term lifecycle performance. Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or related engineering discipline - Experience building, testing, operating, or diagnosing complex electrical or mechanical systems Preferred Qualifications: - Ability to work across multiple engineering disciplines and diverse teams - Experience operating hardware systems in a live environment — interpreting telemetry, sending commands, and troubleshooting in real time - Prior experience managing field operations, contractors, or vendor relationships across multiple sites - Extreme organization, with strong project management and communication skills - Hands-on field experience with proficiency using hand and power tools, test equipment, and standard field diagnostics - Comfort writing and running code (e.g., Python, SQL, or other scripting languages) - Proficiency in 2D or 3D CAD for modeling and/or drawing creation - Willingness to travel to domestic and international ground station sites as required - Bonus: Prior experience in failure analysis, product engineering, quality, or service in consumer electronics or automotive Additional Requirements: - Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed   Compensation: Compensation at Northwood Space is based on role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on job-related skills, education, experience, and technical expertise. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Northwood. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long-term incentives such as company stock options and discretionary performance bonuses. Benefits include equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, flexible spending accounts, flexible time off, 10 or more paid holidays per year, retirement savings plans, and opportunities for professional development. Additional Information: If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.