---
title: 'Senior User Terminal System Engineering Specialist at Telesat'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-user-terminal-system-engineering-specialist-telesat-ottawa-canada-or-9rtpghjkk2w1'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Senior User Terminal System Engineering Specialist at Telesat

- **Company:** Telesat
- **Location:** Ottawa Canada OR Bethesda, United States
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/telesat/1e4a7d15-92a5-4c14-8dab-4c57429528a7

## Job description

Telesat is seeking a highly experienced Senior UT System Engineering Specialist to provide technical leadership for User Terminal systems engineering activities supporting secure communications programs and advanced connectivity applications. This senior individual-contributor role will guide operational concept development, system requirements, User Terminal architecture, and verification strategy for demanding government, enterprise, and partner use cases. The successful candidate will work across internal engineering teams, customers, suppliers, and partners to translate operational needs into practical terminal solutions for fixed, mobile, airborne, maritime, portable, and autonomous platform applications.

Main Responsibilities

- Lead government, enterprise, and partner User Terminal Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), operational scenarios, and system-level documentation.
- Define and mature requirements for fixed, mobile, airborne, maritime, portable, autonomous, and other specialized User Terminal applications.
- Lead specialized communications requirements, including location protection, transmission-security scheduling, resiliency, operational assurance, and deployment-planning considerations.
- Provide technical leadership for architecture, requirements allocation, interfaces, design trades, verification planning, and system integration.
- Direct general requirements cleanup, Product Requirements Document support, compliance matrices, and requirements-to-test traceability across terminals, modems, and software.
- Lead technical workshops, requirements reviews, design reviews, customer meetings, and supplier engagements.
- Guide evaluation and engagement of specialized User Terminal vendors and international partners.
- Support contractual requirements reviews, bids, proposals, statements of work, CDRLs, test reports, and customer deliverables.
- Lead Capella model catch-up and maintenance for operational and functional architecture.
- Mentor systems engineers and promote consistent systems engineering practices.

Education and Experience Required

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 14+ years of relevant engineering experience in systems engineering, satellite communications, telecommunications, aerospace, secure communications, networking, or a related field.
- Experience supporting complex multidisciplinary product-development activities across requirements, design, integration, verification, and delivery.

Specialized Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Expert knowledge of systems engineering, requirements management, architecture, traceability, verification, and lifecycle processes.
- Deep understanding of satellite communications and User Terminal architectures, including antennas, RF, modems, waveform processing, networking, and software.
- Knowledge of secure satellite communications, transmission-security concepts, location protection, resiliency, and mobile platform constraints.
- Proficiency with requirements and architecture tools such as Jama, DOORS, Capella, Jira, Confluence, or equivalent.
- Exceptional technical writing, facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Decision Making & Supervision

- Operates with a high degree of autonomy and accountability on complex, high-impact assignments.
- Makes and recommends significant technical decisions affecting architecture, requirements, verification strategy, supplier direction, and customer commitments.
- Provides functional leadership and mentorship without necessarily having direct supervisory responsibility.
- Acts as a senior technical advisor to engineering management, program leadership, customers, and partners.

Working Conditions

- Hybrid office environment based in Ottawa or Bethesda, with regular virtual and in-person engineering meetings.
- Work may include activities in laboratories, integration facilities, customer sites, and supplier facilities.
- Occasional domestic and international travel may be required for workshops, reviews, integration, demonstrations, and customer or supplier engagements.
- Occasional schedule flexibility may be required to support tests or collaborate across time zones.

For Ottawa based position, the successful candidate must be able to work in Canada and obtain clearance under the Canadian Controlled Goods program (CGP) and reliability.

## About Telesat

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Telesat is a leading global satellite operator that designs, builds, and operates advanced satellite networks to deliver critical connectivity solutions for enterprise, government, telecom, maritime, and aeronautical customers.
- **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT)
- **Headquarters**: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (with offices in Bethesda, US, and other global locations)
- **Founded**: 1969 (often described as a "54-year-old start-up")
- **Founders**: Not publicly available (established as a Canadian crown corporation originally)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Satellite Communications, Telecommunications, Space Infrastructure
- **Target customers**: B2B, Enterprise, Government, Telecom operators, Maritime, Aeronautical, and Broadband service providers
- **Mission or purpose statement**: Deliver critical satellite connectivity solutions that tackle today’s most complex communications challenges, connecting the unconnected and expanding the reach of transformational technologies.

## Products & Services
- **Geostationary (GEO) Satellite Fleet**: A state-of-the-art global fleet of geostationary satellites providing reliable, high-capacity connectivity for broadcast, broadband, and enterprise customers. This is the legacy business generating current revenue.
- **Telesat Lightspeed™ (LEO Network)**: A revolutionary Low Earth Orbit satellite network optimized for enterprise and government customers. Designed to provide ubiquitous, affordable, high-capacity links with fibre-like speeds for telecom, government, maritime, and aeronautical applications. This is the company's primary growth initiative.
- **Technical Consultation & Support Services**: Industry-leading technical expertise and consulting services provided to satellite operators, insurers, and other industry stakeholders globally.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $655.4 million market cap (as of recent data)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of CAD $418M (LTM) / GEO Revenue guidance for 2026: C$300M-C$320M
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Publicly traded company; specific institutional investors not listed in search results. Key partners include telecom, government, and enterprise customers globally.
- **Growth Signals**:
    - Developing Lightspeed, a next-gen LEO network with 156+ enterprise-class satellites, fully funded for global service (US$3.8B).
    - GEO backlog of C$800M and LEO backlog of C$1.1B (Q1 2026).
    - Headcount growth of +14.6% YoY (+133 people), now employing 575 people.
    - Identified 4,500+ enterprise and government accounts globally for Lightspeed go-to-market.
    - IPO in 2021.

## Competitive Advantages
- **50+ Years of Heritage**: A "54-year-old start-up" with decades of industry-leading engineering excellence and reliability, combined with a disruptive, innovative culture.
- **Dual-Architecture Strategy**: Operates both a mature, cash-flowing GEO fleet and a next-gen LEO network (Lightspeed), providing stability and a future growth engine.
- **Enterprise & Government Focus**: Lightspeed is specifically designed for the high-reliability, mission-critical needs of enterprise and government customers (a $320B addressable market), differentiating it from consumer-focused LEO constellations.
- **Established Customer Relationships**: Long-standing, collaborative partnerships with customers globally, providing deep market knowledge and a strong sales channel.

## Strategic Focus
- **Lightspeed Deployment**: The primary strategic priority is the launch and operationalization of the Telesat Lightspeed LEO network, targeting global service.
- **Revenue Transition**: Managing the transition from legacy GEO broadcast/broadband revenue to high-growth LEO enterprise and government revenue.
- **Market Expansion**: Leveraging the Lightspeed network to capture a share of the $650B LEO addressable market, with a specific focus on telecom, government, maritime, and aeronautical verticals.
- **Talent Acquisition**: Actively hiring brilliant, inspired people to bring the Lightspeed network to life and continue innovating.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as collaborative, customer-centric, and innovative. The company values openness, honesty, and integrity. It celebrates diversity and supports community involvement through volunteerism and STEM initiatives.
- **Work Environment**: Collaborative office spaces designed to foster teamwork and creativity. Remote options are available for some roles (e.g., Account Executive, Government Business Development Northern Europe is listed as remote).
- **Notable Perks & Benefits**:
    - Highly competitive salaries with performance-based compensation and annual bonuses.
    - Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
    - Parental and family leave benefits.
    - Generous paid time off, holidays, and flex days.
    - Retirement and pension plans with company matching.
    - Employee discount programs, social outings, and team-building events.
- **Engineering Culture**: A strong legacy of engineering excellence. Employees work on one of the most ambitious communications challenges in history (Lightspeed). Co-op and internship programs are available for early career talent to learn from industry experts.

## Sources
1. [Telesat.com - Careers](https://www.telesat.com/careers/)
2. [Telesat.com - About Us](https://www.telesat.com/about-us/)
3. [LinkedIn - Telesat](https://linkedin.com/company/telesat.com)
4. [Telesat.com - Jobs](https://www.telesat.com/careers/jobs/)
5. [Telesat.com - Investor Presentation (May 2026)](https://www.telesat.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Investor-Presentation-May-2026-1.pdf)

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