Director - TeraWave Ground Infrastucture

We are seeking a visionary and execution-driven Director of TeraWave Ground Infrastructure to lead the end-to-end design, deployment, and operational scaling of our high-capacity terrestrial and ground networking architecture. In this executive-level role, you will own the physical and logical fabric connecting our next-generation satellite constellation to the global internet, operating entirely at the intersection of carrier-grade networking, high-speed packet processing, and global data center/PoP deployments. 

Rather than traditional RF or satellite communications engineering, this role demands deep expertise in large-scale IP routing, backbone transport, rack-level hardware architecture, and custom/off-the-shelf packet processing systems. You will architect the routers, switches, top-of-rack (ToR) gear, transit partnerships, and peering strategies that power our gateways, Point of Presence (PoP) locations, and Satellite Operations (SatOps) infrastructure. 

Key Responsibilities 

Core Network Architecture & IP Routing 

• Lead the technical strategy for designing and scaling the TeraWave global IP/MPLS backbone, bridging gateway locations, core PoPs, and SatOps facilities. 

• Own advanced router and switch configurations, interior/exterior routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS), and traffic engineering policies to optimize latency and throughput. 

• Architect robust, highly available networking connectivity, diverse routing loops, and automated failover/redundancy strategies to guarantee continuous 99.999% uptime for mission-critical PoPs and SatOps. 

Hardware Architecture, Racks & Packet Processing 

• Drive the end-to-end design and physical deployment of hardware rack elevations, including power distribution (AC/DC), thermal management, cabling standards, and top-of-rack (ToR) switch integration. 

• Specify, evaluate, and deploy high-performance commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) routers/switches alongside custom or specialized high-throughput packet processing hardware. 

• Partner with silicon and hardware acceleration teams to integrate high-speed packet inspection, encapsulation, and traffic shaping platforms directly into the ground infrastructure. 

IP Transit Partnerships, Peering & IXP Expansion 

• Spearhead the global transit strategy by negotiating tier-1 IP transit partnerships, dark fiber leases, and high-capacity transport circuits. 

• Scale our global footprint by deploying Points of Presence (PoPs) within major Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and carrier-neutral data centers worldwide, establishing direct peering policies to minimize user latency and optimize cost-per-bit. 

Gateway Site & Data Center Deployment 

• Own the physical site selection, real estate acquisition, and civil/facility engineering lifecycle for gateway earth station data centers and SatOps facilities. 

• Direct multi-disciplinary teams through the physical build-out of technical spaces, managing vendor relationships, colocation agreements, and enterprise-scale hardware procurement cycles globally. 

• Drive country-specific regulatory compliance, telecommunications licensing, and cross-border legal approvals required for international site deployments. 

Leadership & Operational Excellence 

• Build, mentor, and scale high-performing global engineering and field deployment teams spanning network architecture, systems engineering, and data center operations. 

• Establish automated telemetry, monitoring frameworks, and NetOps tooling to proactively manage circuit health, packet loss, and hardware performance across all global sites. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related technical discipline (Master’s or MBA preferred). 

• 12+ years of progressive experience designing, building, and operating large-scale service provider, hyperscale cloud, or telecommunications network infrastructure (comparable to environments at SpaceX/Starlink, Amazon LEO/Kuiper, or major tier-1 ISPs/cloud providers). 

• Deep networking and routing background (equivalent to advanced Cisco CCNP/CCIE or Network Design Engineer (NDE) expertise), with extensive hands-on command-line experience configuring enterprise routers, switches, and routing policies. 

• Proven expertise in architecting physical rack layouts, top-of-rack (ToR) switching, and integrating high-performance off-the-shelf (COTS) or custom packet processing hardware. 

• Extensive hands-on experience managing backbone networks, IP transit agreements, BGP routing, and direct peering at major IXPs. 

• Proven track record of navigating international site acquisition, data center colocation, facility power/cooling design, and cross-border telecom compliance. 

• Experience managing massive capital expenditure (CapEx) budgets and cross-functional global engineering teams. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Cisco CCIE certification or equivalent industry-recognized advanced routing/switching credential. 

• Direct experience integrating high-speed programmable packet processors (e.g., FPGA-based platforms, specialized NPUs, or high-density ASIC white-box switches). 

• Demonstrated crisis-management capabilities during critical network outages, backed by robust automated telemetry and disaster recovery framework design.