System Test Engineer (Temp)

About us

At Viasat, the work you do helps people stay connected in ways that matter, from everyday moments to critical missions across air, land, sea, and space.

We’re a place for people who are curious, bold, and motivated by meaningful work. Here, you'll have the opportunity to make an impact, explore new possibilities, and grow your career in ways that align with your interests and goals. When you're ready to take on something new, you'll find leaders who support your development and help you turn your ambition into action.

What you'll do

Viasat is seeking a dedicated System Test Engineer to support our recently awarded U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Enterprise Services Contract. In this critical defense program role, you will be responsible for validating, verifying, and testing complex satellite communications (SATCOM), tactical networking systems, and end-to-end enterprise services deployed for USMC operational environments. You will work closely with cross-functional systems engineering, development, and network operations teams to ensure robust system performance, high availability, and mission success.

The day-to-day

• System Test Planning & Execution: Develop comprehensive test plans, test cases, and test procedures for system integration, functional verification, regression, and acceptance testing for USMC enterprise services.
• Integration & Verification: Execute manual and automated system-level verification on physical hardware, satellite ground terminals, and virtualized network testbed environments.
• Defect Analysis & Troubleshooting: Identify, isolate, and log system defects during test cycles; collaborate with systems and software engineers to perform root cause analysis and verify defect resolutions.
• Test Environment & Equipment Management: Setup, configure, and maintain system test environments, including satellite modems, routers, switches, cryptographic hardware, and RF test equipment.
• Customer & Review Participation: Participate in technical test reviews, customer demonstration events, and verification readiness reviews with government stakeholders and program leadership.
• Documentation & Reporting: Document test results, produce formal test reports, and track technical metrics in compliance with Viasat quality and government program standards.

What you'll need

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or other STEM degree
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in system test engineering, system integration, or verification testing of complex hardware/software systems.
• Strong understanding of IP networking protocols (TCP/UDP, routing/switching), network architecture, and diagnostic tools (e.g., Wireshark, iperf).
• Active United States Secret Clearance required, with the ability to obtain a Top Secret Clearance.
• United States citizenship required.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.
• This role can work out of the Carlsbad, CA; Duluth, GA; Reston, VA or Tempe, AZ office
• Must be able to come into the office 3 days a week; hybrid

This is a temporary assignment with an expected duration of up to 12 months.

What will help you on the job

• Active United States Top Secret Clearance
• Direct experience supporting USMC or DoD enterprise communication programs, SATCOM systems, or tactical field networks.
• Familiarity with test management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, TestRail) and defect tracking workflows.
• Certifications such as Security+, Network+, or Cisco CCNA.

Salary range

$120,500.00 - $190,000.00 / annually.

For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $149,500.00- $224,500.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here .