Ground Site Specialist

Role

Northwood Space is looking for an experienced, hands-on specialist to deploy and maintain our ground sites around the world. You'll independently install, test, and repair ground station hardware, and represent Northwood professionally as our on-site subject matter expert while working away from the factory.

Responsibilities

• Deploy new sites independently, leading local contractor crews through mechanical, electrical, and network equipment installation.
• Install and integrate site hardware, including antenna assemblies, equipment racks, cabling, motors, and power distribution equipment.
• Commission new installations: inspect the build, power up systems, run functional tests, verify operation, and find and fix issues before handoff.
• Maintain deployed sites and resolve field issues on your own, using test equipment, schematics, and technical documentation to isolate faults down to the component level.
• Make sound decisions in the field and escalate safety, design, or scope concerns when needed.
• Document work performed, test results, open issues, and field findings, and turn them into procedures that help engineering, production, and future field crews.
• Own the deployment area and field kits, so every deployment and maintenance trip has the right tools, spares, and equipment.
• Help build work-order and issue tracking for field operations.
• Support integration, testing, and improvements at the Torrance facility between deployments.

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of hands-on experience installing, integrating, testing, or servicing complex electromechanical systems.
• A track record of completing technical work and resolving problems with little or no on-site supervision.
• Experience directing contractors or technicians who are less familiar with the equipment.
• Comfort with hand and power tools, crimping and termination, and electrical test equipment.
• Ability to work from mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, and procedures.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 50-75% of the time, including to remote sites and internationally.
• Strong safety, communication, and organization practices.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work outdoors in varied weather conditions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Aerospace or satellite ground systems experience, particularly with deployed hardware.
• Rack-mounted hardware and network equipment, including servers, switches, and fiber and copper cabling.
• Low-voltage AC/DC power systems, wire harnesses, motors and drives, and control systems.
• Antennas, RF-adjacent equipment, or communications systems.
• Both new-site commissioning and ongoing maintenance or repair of equipment already in service.
• Building or using work-order systems, maintenance logs, or field-operations dashboards.
• Operating lifts, forklifts, or other heavy equipment.

Compensation

• Level 1: $34.00 - $40.00/hour
• Level 2: $38.00 - $45.00/hour
• Level 3: $42.00 - $51.00/hour

Additional Information

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.