Most satellite careers are spent optimizing networks someone else designed. This is a chance to help define one - for customers whose missions depend on getting it right. This role uniquely combines solution architecture and technical business development, positioning Lightspeed to win strategic defence programs and shape sovereign satellite capabilities for allied nations, at a company that's been earning trust in space for over 55 years.
We're hiring a Senior Defence Solutions Engineer, to work with our Global Sales and Business Development teams to define what Telesat Lightspeed does for defence customers across land, sea, air, and space. You'll work directly with militaries and government agencies - Canada and its allies - translating hard operational requirements into real world solutions.
This isn't your typical Solutions Engineer role. You'll sit at the table with military leaders from around the globe and influence what Lightspeed becomes for the defence market. The work is consequential, the customers are serious, and the technical problems are genuinely hard.
Role responsibilities:- As part of the Strategic Accounts team, you will be the technical authority on Lightspeed for its Strategic defence opportunities - across the full cycle, from first customer engagement through RFI/RFP response, proposal development, design, evaluation, and post-deployment support.
- Lead and contribute to technical responses to RFIs and RFPs, including development of: Solution narratives, Compliance matrices, Basis of design and assumptions, Supporting technical documentation.
- Preparation of white papers, CONOPS, and capability briefs to shape customer requirements and influence pre-procurement decisions and large-scale national programs.
- Translate the real needs of land, sea, air, and space operators into architectures that hold up under high security classifications and operational pressure.
- Maintain a sharp, current read on defence platforms, procurement strategies, capability gaps, and modernization priorities and know where Lightspeed wins.
- Define technical positioning and differentiation against competing systems and architectures in contested defence procurements.
- Work shoulder-to-shoulder with Product and Engineering to align customer requirements with the network roadmap, and surface new opportunities the portfolio should chase.
- Support business development activities, including Opportunity shaping, Technical strategy, Risk identification and mitigation
- Represent Telesat as a technical voice customers trust - in briefings, demonstrations, and at the events where this market makes decisions.
Education and Experience required:- 10+ years in systems engineering, solution/sales engineering, connectivity solutions, or a closely related field, with a track record of designing advanced solutions for government and defence customers in complex, high-stakes environments.
- Deep command of networking fundamentals: OSI Layers 1-3, 3G/4G/5G systems, and MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet standards
- Expertise in satellite and RF communications.
- Experience designing and operating solutions at high security classifications.
- Deep understanding of government and defence cybersecurity frameworks.
- The judgment to anticipate what a defence customer needs before they articulate it, and the credibility to present it to anyone from an engineering team to a senior officer.
- A bachelor's in engineering (Electrical, Telecom, Networking, Computer Science)
- Fluency in English. Fluency in a second language (French, Spanish, Italian, German, Korean) preferred
- Willingness to travel internationally.
Additional experience required:- Must be eligible to work in Canada and able to obtain clearance under the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP)
- Based at Telesat HQ in Ottawa. Regular travel and occasional off-hours work come with the territory.
- Must be willing to work onsite at Ottawa HQ a minimum of 4 days per week
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