Staff Software Engineer (SDET, Python)

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

As a Staff Software Engineer (SDET, Python), you will transform how quality engineering is delivered across Viasat's terminal and media server software platforms. You will design and build scalable automation frameworks, test platforms, CI/CD solutions, and intelligent engineering tools that improve software quality, engineering productivity, and release confidence.

Working across multiple generations of media server software, you will collaborate with global engineering teams to advance automation, establish best practices, and help drive Viasat's adoption of AI-assisted quality engineering and continuous delivery. As a senior member of the team, you will influence technical direction and contribute to the evolution of our test and integration capabilities.

The day-to-day

Platform Engineering & Architecture

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable test and validation platforms supporting media server software running on Linux OS and virtualized environments.
• Build production-quality Python frameworks, libraries, services, and tooling that improve software quality and engineering efficiency.
• Develop reusable automation solutions for integration, system, regression, and end-to-end testing across Viasat's terminal and ground ecosystems.

CI/CD & Developer Productivity

• Define and evolve automation architecture to support multiple product generations and future platform growth.

• Own and enhance CI/CD infrastructure, automated validation workflows, and engineering productivity tooling used by globally distributed teams.
• Design and scale automated testing pipelines across multiple labs and environments, supporting increasing product and engineering complexity.

Cross-Domain Debugging & Technical Leadership

• Develop solutions that enable rapid feedback, shorter development cycles, and higher deployment confidence.
• Improve observability, metrics, reporting, and dashboards that provide real-time insights into software quality and pipeline health.

• Drive Shift Left engineering practices by enabling developers to identify and resolve issues earlier in the software lifecycle.
• Partner with software, systems, networking, and platform engineering teams to establish scalable quality practices and testing strategies.
• Lead investigations into complex failures across software, infrastructure, networking, and automation systems.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to code reviews, design discussions, and technical decision-making.

AI & Intelligent Automation

• Partner with Viasat's Data & AI team to design and build Agentic AI solutions that reduce manual effort in test orchestration, debugging, root cause analysis, and operational workflows

• Identify opportunities where AI-powered tooling can accelerate engineering productivity and improve product quality.

Global Collaboration

• • Work closely with engineering teams across the US, APAC, and Europe to deliver high-quality software and maintain reliable engineering operations.
  • Support software validation activities for mission-critical aviation connectivity services where reliability, scale, and customer experience are essential.

What you'll need

• Significant experience in Software Engineering, Software Engineering in Test (SDET), Developer Productivity Engineering, Automation Engineering, or related technical roles.
• Strong software development experience in Python, including designing reusable frameworks, services, libraries, and automation platforms.
• Experience building and scaling automation solutions for large, complex systems.
• Deep understanding of software development fundamentals, including object-oriented design, clean code practices, software architecture, and testing strategies.
• Experience designing and operating CI/CD systems using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.
• Strong Linux expertise, including systems configuration, debugging, automation, and scripting.
• Networking knowledge including TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP/S, DNS, DHCP, Multicast, REST APIs, and distributed systems concepts.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across software, infrastructure, automation, and networking layers.
• Experience working within Agile software development environments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills in globally distributed teams.

What will help you on the job

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Telecommunications, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with virtualized or cloud-based test environments.
• Experience developing developer productivity platforms or internal engineering tools.
• Experience with AI, ML, or Agentic AI solutions applied to software development, testing, or operational workflows.
• Experience in telecommunications, networking, satellite communications, aviation, in-flight connectivity, or other distributed systems domains.
• Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across projects.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.

Platform Engineering & Architecture

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable test and validation platforms supporting media server software running on Linux OS and virtualized environments.
• Build production-quality Python frameworks, libraries, services, and tooling that improve software quality and engineering efficiency.
• Develop reusable automation solutions for integration, system, regression, and end-to-end testing across Viasat's terminal and ground ecosystems.

CI/CD & Developer Productivity

• Define and evolve automation architecture to support multiple product generations and future platform growth.

• Own and enhance CI/CD infrastructure, automated validation workflows, and engineering productivity tooling used by globally distributed teams.
• Design and scale automated testing pipelines across multiple labs and environments, supporting increasing product and engineering complexity.

Cross-Domain Debugging & Technical Leadership

• Develop solutions that enable rapid feedback, shorter development cycles, and higher deployment confidence.
• Improve observability, metrics, reporting, and dashboards that provide real-time insights into software quality and pipeline health.

• Drive Shift Left engineering practices by enabling developers to identify and resolve issues earlier in the software lifecycle.
• Partner with software, systems, networking, and platform engineering teams to establish scalable quality practices and testing strategies.
• Lead investigations into complex failures across software, infrastructure, networking, and automation systems.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to code reviews, design discussions, and technical decision-making.

AI & Intelligent Automation

• Partner with Viasat's Data & AI team to design and build Agentic AI solutions that reduce manual effort in test orchestration, debugging, root cause analysis, and operational workflows

• Identify opportunities where AI-powered tooling can accelerate engineering productivity and improve product quality.

Global Collaboration

• • Work closely with engineering teams across the US, APAC, and Europe to deliver high-quality software and maintain reliable engineering operations.
  • Support software validation activities for mission-critical aviation connectivity services where reliability, scale, and customer experience are essential.

• Significant experience in Software Engineering, Software Engineering in Test (SDET), Developer Productivity Engineering, Automation Engineering, or related technical roles.
• Strong software development experience in Python, including designing reusable frameworks, services, libraries, and automation platforms.
• Experience building and scaling automation solutions for large, complex systems.
• Deep understanding of software development fundamentals, including object-oriented design, clean code practices, software architecture, and testing strategies.
• Experience designing and operating CI/CD systems using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms.
• Strong Linux expertise, including systems configuration, debugging, automation, and scripting.
• Networking knowledge including TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP/S, DNS, DHCP, Multicast, REST APIs, and distributed systems concepts.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across software, infrastructure, automation, and networking layers.
• Experience working within Agile software development environments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills in globally distributed teams.