Principal Applications Engineer

Principal Applications Engineer

Job Locations

US-VA-McLean

Job ID

2025-4661

Category

Sales

Worker Category

Regular Full-Time[F]

Company Overview

Iridium is an award-winning and innovative satellite communications company with bragging rights to the only network that offers voice and data connectivity anywhere in the world. For over 20 years, Iridium's unique network and services have supported critical communications needs for individuals, businesses, and the evolving Internet of Things.

At Iridium, we understand the importance of staying connected and the limitations of traditional communications networks. People across the globe, including first responders, humanitarians, global militaries, scientific researchers, and lone workers, as well as ships, aircraft and remote operations all rely on Iridium to stay connected. We take our responsibility for providing these essential communications very seriously and pride ourselves on offering a reliable lifeline when needed. Likewise, Iridium is committed to providing an exciting and innovative workplace, where employees are challenged to think outside the box and collaborate on new, bold ideas and solutions. Our talented teams are passionate about their work and the impact our company makes around the world. Iridium fosters an empowering and inclusive culture that allows employees to genuinely be their best selves. We are looking for others who want to join this truly unique company that celebrates our employees and provides the opportunity to truly make a difference in the world.

What We're Looking For :

Iridium is seeking a Principal Applications Engineer with deep technical expertise and a passion for solving complex problems in the Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) domain. In this role, you will partner closely with internal engineering teams, vendors, and partners to understand mission-critical business needs and deliver tailored PNT solutions that drive impact. You'll create value in the full solution lifecycle - from pre-sales discovery and technical demos to post-sale implementation guidance. This role is ideal for a strategic thinker with an engineering background, strong Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) knowledge, and a proven ability to influence through both technical credibility and consultative engagement.

What You'll Do :

Be a trusted advisor to the sales team and provide deep functional expertise throughout the sales process

Deliver relevant, impactful presentations and product demonstrations that illustrate how PNT products can address requirements, solve business concerns, and create value

Work closely with engineering, product management, and R&D teams to influence new product development based on customer feedback and emerging market needs

Work closely with internal teams to optimize product specifications and ensure alignment with industry requirements

Actively participate in cross-functional meetings, as technical subject matter expert, to align business strategies with technical solutions

Alongside the sales team, attend discovery sessions to ask qualifying questions, understand pain points, current business processes, and ideal future state

Assist in the closure of sales opportunities by demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of and resolving questions regarding our product, services, and training

Act as a PNT product, industry, or application champion displaying thought leadership and proactive training and support

Stay current with and actively research industry trends, competitor offerings, and technological advancements in the Position, Navigation, and Timing industry

Develop strong relationships with customers, understanding their technical and business requirements

Provide technical expertise to propose the best-fit solutions from the Iridium's product portfolio

Deliver technical product presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and training for partners, vendors, customers, and sales teams

Support the sales team in developing proposals and responding to technical inquiries

Support Iridium's Sales and Marketing teams through pre- and post-launch activities

Support various internal and external product / application training

What You'll Need to Succeed :

• Bachelor's degree in a business, technical, or engineering program of study
• 10+ years of experience working with Position, Navigation, and Timing, emphasis on Navigation and Timing
• 5+ years of experience in application / sales engineering, technical sales, or business development, preferably within the PNT or Telecommunications industry
• Proven ability to engage with customers, understand technical requirements, and deliver tailored solutions
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey products, deliverables, analyses, and / or issues clearly and confidently, and recognize and adapt to different communication techniques
• Can easily build meaningful relationships with others, including senior / executive leadership, vendors, partners, and customers
• Be able to analyze a situation or problem, generate effective solutions, and see those solutions through to completion
• Must possess the creativity and resourcefulness needed to make reliable decisions and determine methods on new assignments
• Can thrive in a dynamic environment by handling multiple tasks and managing shifting priorities
• Be proactive in sharing knowledge you've learned with others

Things That Would be Great if You Brought to the Table :

Technical skills in Kalman filtering, Sensor fusion modeling

Experience working on PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) technologies in government, maritime, aviation, and critical infrastructure markets

Involvement in key standards groups and frameworks like 3GPP, IEEE is a plus

We'll also need you to :

Be able to work in the office at least 3 or more days a week to foster collaboration with the team and stakeholders

Be able to travel up to 30%, especially as needed to attend industry events, trade shows, and technical conferences to network and gather insights

This position directly performs under, supports, or is exposed to a U.S. government contract. To comply with the requirements of that U.S. government contract, applicants for this position must be U.S. citizen

Work Environment :

This position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary with the majority of the position working with a computer. The role typically requires the use of basic office equipment such as a phone, video, computer, keyboard, mouse, and printer.

Iridium is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.