Senior Electrical Engineer - RF & Communications Systems

Star Catcher•Jacksonville, FL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Star Catcher is building the first energy grid in space to power the orbital economy. Today’s spacecraft must generate all of their own power, which caps what they can do and how long they can operate. But what if they could “plug” into a grid, the way buildings do on Earth? Instead of cables and outlets, Star Catcher is building the technology to wirelessly beam energy to spacecraft’s existing solar panels when and where they need it. Be an early member of a team building an entirely new energy infrastructure at scale to power the next frontier. Star Catcher Industries, Inc. , located in Jacksonville, Florida , has an opportunity for a Senior Electrical Engineer - RF & Communications Systems to support the development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network, its orbital power grid. This role will be responsible for leading RF and communications subsystem architecture and co-own system communications interfaces.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
10+ years of professional experience in RF or communications systems design, including link budget analysis, RF front-end design, or transceiver/antenna systems.
Demonstrated experience leading or co-owning RF subsystem architecture from concept through qualification in a demanding environment; spaceflight heritage is preferred.
Strong understanding of RF fundamentals including impedance matching, linearity, gain, noise figure, phase noise, and EMI/EMC.
Proficiency with RF simulation tools such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, or equivalent.
Experience with PCB design tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or similar).
Familiarity with spacecraft communications standards and practices (e.g., CCSDS, TT&C architectures).

Nice To Haves

Experience designing or integrating spacecraft communications subsystems (TT&C, S-band/X-band/UHF, or similar).
Experience with software-defined radio (SDR) platforms.
Experience interfacing with bus or payload accommodation vendors on communications requirements.
Familiarity with environmental and qualification standards (MIL-STD, NASA GEVS, or similar).
Experience supporting spectrum licensing and coordination activities, including providing RF technical inputs for FCC licensing and ITU coordination through the responsible regulatory team.
Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical design reviews.

Responsibilities

Lead RF and communications subsystem architecture and co-own system communications interfaces, including designing, simulating, and implementing RF circuits and subsystems such as LNAs, PAs, filters, mixers, synthesizers, and transceiver modules for space-to-ground communication links.
Develop and refine system-level RF architectures that meet demanding environmental, performance, and reliability requirements for space applications.
Lead RF component selection, schematic design, and PCB layout review with a focus on radiation tolerance, thermal performance, and high-frequency signal integrity.
Perform hardware bring-up, tuning, and RF characterization using lab equipment (VNA, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters) to support first-article deployment.
Lead link budget analysis and trade studies for spacecraft communications architectures (e.g., TT&C, ranging, and crosslink concepts).
Support environmental, thermal, and radiation-effects considerations as part of design verification for space systems.
Work closely with systems engineering, digital/FPGA hardware, firmware, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration and efficient production.
Troubleshoot complex RF issues, execute root-cause analysis, and propose design improvements to enhance reliability and mission readiness.
Create technical documentation including requirements, design reports, test procedures, and verification artifacts.
Mentor early-career RF engineers and support the department's growth in communications systems engineering capability.