Principal Network Engineer

Role
We are looking for a high-agency Principal Network Engineer to be the ultimate authority on the physics and RF dynamics of our simulation engine. You will work directly with the founding team to architect the mathematical models that allow our software to accurately predict how, when, and why satellite and ground station links degrade. Your work will directly translate into the core logic of ConstellationOS, ensuring our predictive capabilities hold up in high-stakes commercial and defense deployments.

What You’ll Do

• Own the Physics of Failure: Develop the mathematical models and algorithms that simulate complex SATCOM and terrestrial network degradation. You will account for Doppler shifts, dynamic handovers, latency spikes, and hardware constraints across varied orbital regimes.
• High-Fidelity Environmental Modeling: Drive the integration of high-resolution weather and atmospheric datasets (e.g., ERA5, GOES-R, ASOS) into our simulation engine to accurately model rain fade, scintillation, and tropospheric/ionospheric interference.
• Bridge Science and Software: Translate deep physics, RF constraints, and link budgets into actionable architectural logic. You will collaborate closely with our engineering team to ensure your models are seamlessly integrated into the ConstellationOS codebase (Python/C++/Rust).
• Applied Research & Edge Cases: Analyze data from our active commercial pilots and defense evaluations to continuously validate and refine our simulation's realism against real-world telemetry.

Who You Are

• The Domain Expert: You hold a PhD (or possess equivalent industry experience) in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field, with a deep focus on RF propagation, SATCOM, or atmospheric science.
• Systems-Level Thinker: You understand traditional terrestrial networking (BGP, OSPF, MPLS) and how it intersects with space-based routing. You know how packets move and the exact physical phenomena that cause them to drop.
• Relentlessly Resourceful: You thrive in the unstructured environment of a seed-stage, hard-tech startup. You are a "problem-finder" who can independently identify gaps in our models and build the mathematical solutions without waiting for a roadmap.

1. Introductory Call (30 mins): A quick conversation with our CTO to discuss your background, the ConstellationOS vision, and mutual fit.
2. Technical Deep Dive (Case Study): A practical exercise where we walk through a real-world link failure scenario. You'll help us identify the specific variables (RF physics, network congestion, hardware constraints) required to model that failure with 100% fidelity.
3. Final Interview (Onsite/Video): A deep dive with the founding team to discuss your problem-solving approach, technical roadmap, and how you'll bridge the gap between hardware physics and our software engine.