Staff Research Engineer, AI and Innovation

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 an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams 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.

This role is located in Mountain View, CA where we are onsite 3 days a week in office. 

As a Staff Software Engineer within the CTO Group, you will be a technical leader responsible for modeling and analyzing emerging technologies and building high-impact Proof of Concepts (POCs). You will be part of the team realizing Skylo’s vision for the next-generation NTN systems, creating rapid prototypes for internal tools, researching agentic AI applications, and leveraging deep data analytics to optimize Skylo’s global network operations.

• AI/ML-Enabled RAN Enhancements: Leverage Skylo’s domain knowledge to identify areas where AI/ML can lead to higher performance outcomes in resource efficiency, service reliability, and user experience. Analyze and evaluate technical hypotheses and quantify performance gains.
• AI-Driven Network Blueprints: Utilize Generative AI and Agentic frameworks to accelerate path-finding activities in network operations, build Proof of Concepts, and research new ways to integrate workflows into Skylo’s networking technology.
• Agentic AI Implementation: Build functional agents for complex tasks such as automated regulatory analysis, technical specification synthesis, intelligent operational assistants, and improved business processes.
• Advanced Data Analysis: Apply expert data analysis skills to create automated pipelines that detect network anomalies and streamline operations through "Dark NOC" automation and “Autonomous Networks” concepts.
• Technical Leadership: Mentor junior engineers and interns, setting the standard for coding excellence in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript across the innovation team.

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in software engineering, with a proven track record of moving from vague concepts to production-ready prototypes.
• in-depth expertise and working experience with AI frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn), foundational models, and familiarity with fine-tuning strategies
• Experience with Agentic AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, AutoGPT), Retrieval Augmented Generation, and vector databases.
• Full-Stack Proficiency: Expert-level ability to build end-to-end applications using modern frameworks like React, Next.js, or Streamlit.
• Domain Knowledge (Preferable): Familiarity with wireless protocols and understanding of wireless systems, especially in the  NTN context is strongly desired..
• Cloud Architecture: Experience with cloud-native principles (Kubernetes, containerization) and deployments on GCP or AWS.
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Autonomy:  Proven ability to solve complex, ambiguous problems, defining technical strategy and implementation details independently to meet large-scale business goals.
• Ability to work seamlessly with cross-functional teams across HW, SW, network product, and architecture teams.

The compensation range for this position is: $170,000 - $190,000 . This range reflects the low and high end of the range Skylo reasonably and generally expects to pay the hired candidate in this role.

EEO Statement
Skylo is an equal-opportunity employer and we celebrate diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, parent or caregiver status, political affiliation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. Please let us know if you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability.