RF Systems Engineer

Vast • Long Beach, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Vast is seeking a full-time RF Systems Engineer to develop RF systems for spacecraft, including space stations and satellites. Reporting to the Director, RF Engineering, the engineer will manage communication system requirements and verification and perform RF system design, link-budget development, satellite coverage analysis, and definition of system concepts of operations. The role owns one or more RF components and guides them through development, testing, integration, and mission operation in coordination with mechanical, thermal, test, integration, mission assurance, and other engineering counterparts. The position is based in Long Beach, California.

Vast develops space stations and infrastructure, including its Haven station program, and is also developing satellite and lunar systems. The company is headquartered in Long Beach and has more than 1,000 employees.

The California pay range is $120,540–$209,520 USD. Compensation is calibrated to the selected candidate’s experience and demonstrated capability. Full-time employees receive company equity and access to benefits and perks including medical, dental, and vision coverage; paid time off; paid parental leave; disability and life insurance; a 401(k) plan; ClassPass credits; personalized mental healthcare; discounts; and complimentary snacks, coffee, cold drinks, and dinner, with subsidized lunch.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in ECE, EE, Physics, or a related STEM discipline.
• Familiarity with digital RF communication theory, components, and fundamentals.
• Knowledge of satellite link budgets and satellite link figures of merit, including G/T ratio.
• Knowledge of signal-to-noise figures of merit, including C/No and Eb/No; error vector magnitude; noise figure; bit error rate; modulation schemes; interference; IQ modulators; channel impairments; EIRP; free-space path loss; and Doppler shift.
• Familiarity with antennas and propagation, including antenna gain/directivity and polarization.
• Experience with RF measurements and concepts, including spectrum analyzers and noise bandwidth.
• Experience with RF fundamentals and S-parameters.
• Experience in programming and data-analysis tools.
• Experience with product management, vendor management, design reviews, and requirements and verification.

Nice To Haves

• MS or PhD in ECE, EE, Physics, or a related STEM discipline.
• Work experience, startup experience, or aerospace experience.
• Experience with design for space and testing for space environments.
• Experience with EMI/EMC testing, environmental testing, and SMC-S-016 test requirements for launch vehicles.
• Experience with RF measurements, spectral masks, and spur measurements.
• Experience with analysis software, STK, Python, and MATLAB.
• Knowledge of RF for satellite communications, orbital mechanics, P1dB, transmission-line loss, spectral regrowth, and harmonic distortion.
• Knowledge of RF passive components, satellite communications standards such as CCSDS and DVB-S2, and DSP for RF communications.
• Knowledge of receiver synchronization, Shannon theory, the Nyquist sampling theorem, and forward error correction.
• Knowledge of antenna and propagation effects, including multipath, axial ratio, and cross-polarization.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage spacecraft RF system requirements and the verification plan.
• Specify link parameters, including modulation, error-correction coding, symbol rate, and channel filter.
• Calculate link budgets, accounting for data-throughput requirements, link conditions, and ground-station characteristics.
• Estimate expected data throughput and bit error rate using link budgets.
• Maintain link budgets that account for on-vehicle antenna patterns, cable losses, radio specifications, and channel conditions for the expected orbit.
• Support regulatory license applications with analyses such as power flux density and antenna contours.
• Use tools such as Ansys STK to estimate coverage and link variability in real mission orbit scenarios.
• Document and review work with peers through trade studies and design reviews.
• Own one or more RF products from development testing through mission operation and serve as a subject matter expert for those components within the overall RF system.
• Plan design, manufacturing, testing, integration, and delivery of RF products to the vehicle; coordinate schedules with interfacing teams and project management.
• Manage relationships with cross-functional teams, including mechanical, test, manufacturing, thermal, and avionics engineers.
• Manage vendors and communicate requirements, deliverables, and schedules.
• Define test plans and procedures for acceptance and qualification testing.
• Define and document checkout tests to validate proper operation during and after vehicle integration.
• Support mission operations as a subject matter expert on the spacecraft RF system.

Benefits

• Company equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Paid time off, including vacation; exempt staff may receive 20+ vacation days and non-exempt staff 10+ vacation days, with the ability to cash out unused vacation annually.
• Paid parental leave.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
• ClassPass credits.
• Personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health.
• Discounts and other perks.
• Complimentary snacks, drip coffee, cold drinks, and dinner meals; subsidized lunch.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level