Northwood Space careers in 2026
Northwood Space is a Los Angeles-based startup building a next-generation satellite ground station network. Founded in 2021, the company is tackling one of the most persistent bottlenecks in the space industry: getting data from orbit to the ground efficiently, affordably, and at scale. As satellite constellations grow from hundreds to thousands of spacecraft, the ground segment — antennas, receivers, signal processing, and data routing — has become a critical infrastructure challenge that Northwood aims to solve.
In 2026, Northwood Space is in its growth phase, expanding its engineering team and ground station deployments. For engineers who want to work at the intersection of RF systems, software, and space infrastructure, Northwood offers an early-stage opportunity with outsized technical responsibility.
What Northwood Space does
The traditional satellite ground station model is expensive and inflexible. Each ground station typically consists of large dish antennas, custom RF electronics, and facility infrastructure that costs millions to build and operate. Most satellite operators either build their own stations or lease time on shared networks from companies like KSAT, SSC, or AWS Ground Station.
Northwood Space is building a different kind of ground network. The company's approach uses modular, software-defined ground station hardware that can be manufactured at lower cost, deployed more rapidly, and reconfigured through software updates rather than hardware swaps. The goal is to create a dense, distributed network of ground stations that provides satellite operators with high-availability, low-latency data downlink services.
Key technical differentiators
- Software-defined architecture: Ground station RF processing and signal routing are handled primarily in software, allowing rapid reconfiguration for different satellite frequencies, protocols, and data rates.
- Modular hardware: Standardized antenna and receiver modules that can be manufactured and deployed at scale, rather than custom-built for each installation.
- Distributed network: Multiple smaller stations rather than a few large ones, improving geographic coverage and reducing single-point-of-failure risk.
- Automated operations: Minimal human intervention in day-to-day station operations, with centralized monitoring and control through a software platform.
Founding team and leadership
Northwood Space was founded by a team with deep experience in satellite communications and ground systems. The founding team includes veterans of major satellite operators and defense contractors who saw the ground segment bottleneck firsthand and built Northwood to address it.
The company's leadership combines RF engineering expertise with software and systems architecture backgrounds — reflecting the core thesis that modern ground stations are as much a software problem as a hardware one.
Job types at Northwood Space
As a startup with approximately 60 employees, Northwood Space hires across a focused set of disciplines. Every hire has significant impact on the company's trajectory, and roles tend to be broader than equivalent positions at larger companies.
RF engineering
The core technical discipline at Northwood. RF engineers design, test, and optimize the antenna systems, receivers, amplifiers, and signal chains that form the physical layer of the ground station network.
| Role | Experience | Estimated Salary Range | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| RF Design Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $120K–$160K | Antenna design, RF front-end, link budget analysis |
| RF Systems Engineer | Senior (7+ yr) | $150K–$190K | End-to-end RF architecture, interference mitigation |
| RF Test Engineer | Entry-Mid (1-4 yr) | $95K–$130K | Hardware testing, antenna pattern measurement, field deployment |
RF engineering at Northwood is hands-on. Engineers design hardware, test prototypes, deploy stations in the field, and iterate based on real-world performance data. This is not a paper-study environment.
Software engineering
Northwood's software-defined approach means software engineers are central to the product. The software team builds the systems that control ground stations, process signals, manage satellite contacts, and provide customer-facing data delivery platforms.
| Role | Experience | Estimated Salary Range | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Software Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $130K–$170K | Ground station firmware, real-time signal processing |
| Backend Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $135K–$175K | API services, data pipeline, station orchestration |
| Full-Stack Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $130K–$170K | Customer portal, monitoring dashboards, scheduling UI |
| DevOps / Infrastructure | Mid (3-5 yr) | $130K–$170K | Cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, deployment automation |
Systems and network engineering
Systems engineers at Northwood work at the intersection of RF hardware and software, defining how ground stations integrate into a cohesive network. Network engineers focus on data routing, bandwidth management, and the communication protocols between stations and satellite operators.
| Role | Experience | Estimated Salary Range | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Systems Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $120K–$160K | Station architecture, integration, commissioning |
| Network Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $125K–$165K | Data routing, bandwidth allocation, protocol optimization |
| Systems Architect | Senior (7+ yr) | $155K–$195K | Network-level architecture, scalability planning |
Operations
As the ground station network expands, operations roles grow in importance. Operations engineers and technicians monitor station health, manage satellite contact schedules, troubleshoot issues, and deploy new stations.
| Role | Experience | Estimated Salary Range | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Station Operator | Entry-Mid (1-4 yr) | $80K–$115K | Station monitoring, contact scheduling, anomaly response |
| Field Technician | Entry (0-2 yr) | $65K–$95K | Station installation, maintenance, hardware swap |
| Operations Manager | Senior (5+ yr) | $130K–$170K | Network operations center, staffing, procedures |
Business and general roles
At the startup stage, Northwood also hires across business development, finance, program management, and administrative functions, though these positions are fewer in number than engineering roles.
What it is like to work at Northwood Space
Northwood is a venture-backed startup with approximately 60 employees. Working here in 2026 is fundamentally different from working at an established aerospace company.
Startup pace and scope. Engineers at Northwood handle more responsibility than they would at a larger company. An RF engineer might design a subsystem, build a prototype, test it in the lab, deploy it in the field, and analyze performance data — all within a few months. Boundaries between roles are fluid.
Hardware meets software. The company sits at the intersection of physical infrastructure and software platforms. If you enjoy both tangible hardware and software systems, Northwood offers a working environment where both matter equally.
Los Angeles location. Northwood is headquartered in Los Angeles, placing it within the densest aerospace cluster in the United States. SpaceX, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab USA, ABL Space, and dozens of other space companies are nearby, creating a strong talent pool and professional network. The trade-off is LA's cost of living — among the highest in the country.
Early-stage equity. As a startup, Northwood likely offers equity compensation (stock options) alongside base salary. The value of this equity depends entirely on the company's future fundraising and exit trajectory — it could be worth significant money or nothing. Evaluate it accordingly.
How Northwood compares to other ground station companies
| Company | HQ | Stage | Approach | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood Space | Los Angeles, CA | Startup (Series A+) | Software-defined modular stations | ~60 |
| KSAT | Tromso, Norway | Established | Traditional large-dish network | ~500 |
| AWS Ground Station | Seattle, WA | Division of Amazon | Cloud-integrated satellite contacts | Part of AWS |
| Leaf Space | Italy / US | Growth stage | SmallSat-focused ground network | ~80 |
| Atlas Space Operations | Traverse City, MI | Growth stage | Cloud-based ground station scheduling | ~100 |
Northwood's differentiation is its emphasis on manufacturing scalable, software-defined hardware rather than operating legacy antenna infrastructure or providing purely cloud-based scheduling on top of existing stations.
How to apply
Northwood Space posts openings on its careers page, LinkedIn, and occasionally on space industry job boards. For a company this size, networking and direct outreach can also be effective.
Given the small team size, expect a hiring process that is thorough but not bureaucratic:
- Application: Resume through the careers page or a direct referral.
- Initial screen (20-30 min): Background, motivation, and salary expectations with a recruiter or hiring manager.
- Technical interview (60 min): Deep dive into your domain expertise. For RF: link budgets, antenna design, signal processing. For software: system design, coding, real-time processing concepts.
- On-site or team interview (2-3 hours): Meet the team, tour the lab or operations center, discuss collaboration and culture fit.
- Offer: Typically 1-2 weeks after the final round.
What they look for
- RF or satcom experience is highly valued for hardware roles. Prior work with ground station systems, satellite links, or telecommunications is a strong signal.
- Startup mentality: Comfort with ambiguity, willingness to work across boundaries, and ability to move fast without sacrificing quality.
- Systems thinking: The product spans hardware, software, and operations. Candidates who can think across these layers are preferred.
- Space industry interest: Northwood wants people who understand and care about the satellite communications market, not just engineers looking for any startup job.
Related resources
For more on ground station and satellite communication careers in the space industry, explore these related guides:
- Space systems engineer jobs in 2026 — systems engineering roles across the industry
- Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center jobs — space infrastructure careers on the Space Coast
- Mission control jobs in 2026 — operations roles at NASA and commercial providers
- SpaceX Redmond jobs — Starlink satellite engineering (a major customer segment for ground stations)
- Blue Origin El Segundo jobs — another LA-area space employer
Browse Northwood Space jobs on Zero G Talent or explore all space jobs in Los Angeles.
