Advanced Electronics HW-PL-Specialty Division Lead - VGOV

Viasat Engineering Leader

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we're on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We're looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What You'll Do

We are seeking an accomplished engineering leader to join the VGOV Advanced Electronics organization. In this role, you will be a working leader—both guiding a multidisciplinary division of Hardware/Digital, Programmable Logic (PL), and Specialty Engineers and directly contributing your technical expertise to projects, proposals, and critical business initiatives.

You will ensure engineering resources are aligned to evolving VGOV development needs while making balanced decisions that are good for the engineers, good for product and program teams, good for the VGOV business, and good for Viasat as a whole. Your deep technical background will position you as a trusted resource and mentor for engineers across the division.

You will ensure that engineering resources, skill sets, and priorities remain aligned with evolving VGOV development needs, making balanced and thoughtful decisions that serve engineers, product and program teams, the VGOV business, and Viasat as a whole. Your deep engineering background will position you as a trusted resource and mentor for engineers across the division.

Beyond leading the organization, you will play an active, hands-on role in directly supporting programs and business development efforts—providing technical knowledge, shaping solutions, driving engineering execution, and helping secure future opportunities.

Engineering Disciplines You Will Oversee

Hardware / Digital Engineering

These engineers design digital circuitry ranging from discrete logic and pulse-width modulators to microprocessors, microcontrollers, A/D and D/A converters, memory subsystems, FPGAs, and high-speed interfaces—typically integrated onto printed circuit boards.

Programmable Logic (PL) Engineering

PL engineers implement complex digital functions within FPGAs using HDL languages such as Verilog and VHDL. Their work spans synchronous/asynchronous interfaces, signal processing, cryptography, modems, and more.

Specialty Engineering Disciplines

You will oversee engineers with deep specialization in areas critical to high-reliability systems:

• Power & Analog Engineering – Designing analog circuitry, power converters, and modular power supplies.
• Design Verification Engineering – Developing tools and methodologies to simulate, detect, and mitigate design issues in FPGAs and ASICs, ensuring compliance to specifications.
• Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Engineering – Creating signal-processing algorithms for communications and radar, and partnering with PL engineers to implement them on FPGAs.
• Design Implementation (Backend) Engineering – Converting RTL and higher-level functional descriptions into physically realizable integrated circuits through full backend design flows.
• Radiation Engineering – Analyzing and testing susceptibility of components and systems to space radiation effects (SEUs, TID, etc.).
• Parts, Materials & Process (PMP) Engineering – Defining processes for part selection, screening, testing, failure analysis, and long-term parts management.
• PCB Fabrication Engineering – Providing fabrication expertise and failure analysis, influencing PCB stack-ups, materials, and layout considerations.

The Day-to-Day

Organizational Design

• Contribute to the ongoing evolution of the VGOV Development Engineering organization as VGOV and Viasat grow and technology needs shift.

Leadership & Management

• Lead a geographically dispersed team of world-class engineers and managers.
• Ensure the organization anticipates, develops, and maintains the capabilities required for both current commitments and future development roadmaps.

Staffing & Hiring

• Meet HW-PL-Specialty staffing needs efficiently and strategically.
• Identify strong internal candidates and drive external recruiting efforts to build a high-caliber engineering pipeline.

Engineering Maturity & Process Improvement

• Continuously improve engineering processes and drive adoption of industry best practices across all specialties.

Performance Management

• Ensure consistent, fair, and effective performance management, recognition, and accountability across the division.

Career Development & Mentoring

• Establish clear expectations for engineering managers and supervisors.
• Foster an environment where engineers define and achieve meaningful technical and career development goals that aligns with VGOV objectives.
• Serve as coach and mentor to managers and engineers.

Technical Contributions

• Serve as a strong technical resource for teams and programs
• Stay current with emerging tools, technologies, and methodologies relevant to the division, and evaluate their applicability to VGOV and Viasat's engineering roadmap

Direct Work

Although this is a senior leadership role, you will also perform meaningful hands-on technical work that directly impacts programs, proposals, engineering quality, and execution. Examples include:

Technical Problem-Solving

• Providing expert support for complex design challenges, failure investigations, and critical reviews.
• Conducting focused technical assessments across digital, PL, power/analog, or specialty engineering areas.

Project Support

• Directly supporting programs as a lead or senior engineer
• Supporting key program activities such as architecture reviews, design reviews, integration efforts, and risk assessments.
• Helping teams resolve technical roadblocks and ensuring engineering solutions meet requirements.

Business Development Support

• Contributing to technical approaches, proposals, estimates, and customer discussions.
• Helping shape competitive, feasible engineering solutions for new opportunities.

Technology & Capability Development

• Evaluating emerging tools and methods, performing feasibility checks, and influencing long-term technology roadmaps.

Technical Decision-Making

• Guiding or approving major technical decisions and ensuring alignment between engineering execution, program needs, and business priorities.

What You'll Need

• Demonstrated success leading engineering teams and engineering managers
• Strong technical competence within your primary engineering discipline, complemented by broad technical understanding across the other disciplines represented in this division
• Strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate strategy into impactful execution
• Data-driven mindset—skilled at forming meaningful questions and using data to guide actions and decisions.
• Experience collaborating effectively with distributed teams across time zones, functions, cultures, and disciplines
• Genuine optimism about VGOV and Viasat's future and a commitment to shared success
• Up to 10% travel
• US Citizenship Required

What Will Help You On The Job

• 10 years experience managing dispersed engineering teams
• Active U.S. Secret Clearance or higher

Salary Range

$195,000.00 - $308,500.00 / 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 $242,500.00- $363,500.00/ 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.