Principal Network Engineer, Planning & Performance

The world still has coverage blind spots. You could help eliminate them at Skylo. Skylo has pioneered a standards-based approach to satellite connectivity. We connect smartphones and IoT devices directly to satellites. No special hardware, no entirely new networks. Just billions of existing devices, suddenly reachable anywhere on Earth. We're not building toward this future. We're already in it. Our direct-to-device service is live on millions of activated devices across five continents, covering more than 72 million square kilometers, in partnership with leading satellite operators, mobile network operators, Tier-1 chipset makers, and OEMs worldwide. And we're just getting started. At the heart of it all is Skylo's commercial NTN vRAN: a 3GPP standards-based, cloud-native platform that seamlessly bridges terrestrial and satellite networks. It's the infrastructure that makes true anywhere, anytime connectivity possible. When you join Skylo, you'll work at the intersection of three markets reshaping how the world stays connected: mass-market consumer devices, automotive, and industrial IoT. Enabling people outdoors and critical workflows in the world's most remote places. This is a rare chance to work on technology that matters, at a company that's already proving it works This role is based in Espoo, Finland, one of the three Skylo's core engineering hubs and fastest-growing sites. You'll work onsite three days a week as part of a team that's scaling quickly. How You Will Impact Skylo This role will help fulfill Skylo's mission of making satellite connectivity available to all. This individual will be a key contributor to the Network Design and Planning team, helping to plan, design, and evolve Skylo's satellite communication network infrastructure. Your work will ensure our network is reliable, scalable, and high-performance, meeting both current and future customer demands and business objectives. You will be a crucial part of a team defining the planning and performance of our world-first commercial direct-to-device satellite network. What you'll do Perform satellite beam and RF planning. Lead Earth Station, Core network and Cloud Application planning and dimensioning. Develop network performance & optimisation guidelines for Non-Terrestrial networks. Create technical specifications, engineering plans, and documentation with detailed designs for network elements. Optimize existing networks and services for cost-efficiency, performance, and scalability. Conduct proof-of-solutions to validate technical proposals. Drive continuous improvement loops with Operations & Implementation teams. Conduct periodic trend analyses for capacity and other metrics. Lead a small team of engineers, providing mentorship, technical guidance, and career development. Oversee project deliverables and ensure alignment with team and company goals. Sound like you? You bring: 5+ years in network design and planning within a mobile operator or telecom vendor Experience with Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) highly preferred Proven skills in traffic forecasting, capacity planning, and KPI framework definition Strong knowledge of 3GPP standards, satellite and mobile network systems Practical experience with LTE eNodeB, 5G gNodeB, EPC and 5G Core Familiarity with cloud technologies (VMs, Docker, Kubernetes) and network virtualization Solid understanding of RRC & NAS procedures for both terrestrial and NTN networks Familiarity with end-to-end 5G call flows, roaming architectures, and IP/Non-IP network protocols Strong written and verbal communication skills for technical documentation and stakeholder presentations Previous experience managing or mentoring engineers Every role at Skylo uses AI tools daily to amplify output. We expect active habits using AI tools and a track record of folding new ones into your workflow quickly What We Offer This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help build and run the world's first commercial, live direct-to-device satellite network. You'll work alongside a world-class team spanning software, hardware, chipsets, telecom, satellite, and network virtualization, some of the most sought-after expertise in the industry. And you'll do it inside a culture that's open, transparent, and inclusive, shaped by the best of Silicon Valley, Nordic, and South Asian ways of working. With employees working across three continents, Skylo is proud to be an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. Our worldwide and inclusive culture encourages a flexible approach to work, and we also offer an attractive range benefits such as: Fair & transparent compensation, we'll share salary details with you in your first interview Occupational Healthcare, Health and Life Insurance E-passi including, wellness, culture, lunch and commuting benefit Phone & Internet allowance Individual learning & development budget for further personal and professional development Ready to join us? Apply now and a member of our recruiting team will be in touch. We review applications on an ongoing basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Our process includes an initial call with a recruiter, a take-home assignment, and two interviews with different team members. Still have questions? Teea Kuusimurto, our Senior Recruiter, has answers. Say hello at [email protected]. About Skylo Skylo is a global Non-Terrestrial Network service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows smartphone and IoT cellular devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Skylo’s direct-to-device service is now live on millions of activated devices across five continents, with more than 60 million square kilometers of coverage, in partnership with multiple satellite operators, mobile network operators (MNOs), Tier-1 chipset makers, and OEMs. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo's commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo provides anywhere, anytime connectivity solutions that seamlessly roam between terrestrial and satellite networks. Our focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows across three main verticals: mass-market consumer devices, automotive, and industrial IoT.