Senior RF/Electrical Engineer

Elveo•Chantilly, VA

About The Position

As a Senior RF/Electrical Engineer at Elveo, you will work across radio frequency, electrical, hardware, mechanical, and software engineering. You will analyze, design, implement, optimize, and enhance the company’s nanosatellite communications payload and future constellation network. Work products include link-budget analyses, system dimensioning for coverage and capacity, traffic analysis and simulation, initial system design, coverage and frequency planning, and interference analysis and mitigation. The role supports iterative design and testing of nanosatellite payload hardware, electronics, and software. This includes working with software-defined radios, single-board computers, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, filters, amplifiers, and payload antennas. Hands-on bench work may involve soldering, using spectrum analyzers, assembling breadboard circuits, and configuring RF channel simulators. The engineer also supports payload integration, testing, delivery to launch and spacecraft bus partners or vendors, and ground-based and in-orbit communications-performance testing. The role interfaces with Systems Engineering to inform constellation and network architecture and design based on RF payload performance, and supports technical documentation for payload design and development. Elveo describes itself as a direct-to-device communications company combining 20 years of expertise and serving more than 50 mobile network operators and major distribution partners in over 60 countries. Its technology processes and adapts on orbit to deliver voice and data services to mobile users, IoT devices, and machines across enterprise, government, and humanitarian sectors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in RF or Electrical Engineering.
At least 8 years of RF/Electrical Engineering experience, as stated under Core Responsibilities.
At least 7 years of experience on projects involving design, integration, or testing of space hardware.
Experience on projects developing space payload hardware and software, preferably communications systems.
Strong knowledge and understanding of RF air interfaces and multiple-access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, and CDMA.
Must be able to work independently and in a team environment.
Must be proficient with computers and fluent in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX, and capable with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Project, PowerPoint, and Word.
To comply with ITAR requirements, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain the necessary U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with software-defined radios, antennas, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, SoCs, single-board computers, and microcontrollers.
Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as C++, C, Python, or MATLAB.
Experience with Linux-based systems.
Familiarity with VHDL or Verilog and Altera or Xilinx FPGAs.
Proficiency with electrical design software such as Altium.
Hands-on experience integrating hardware and software systems.
Hands-on experience programming microcontrollers and SDRs.
Knowledge of communications or networking protocols, including IP, TCP/IP, SNMP, SDH/SONET, Ethernet, Carrier Grade Ethernet, DSL, SS7, ISDN, Q2931, B-ISDN, X.25, 802.11, 802.16, SIP, TDMA, FDMA, CDMA, LTE, EDGE, GPRS, HSPA, and GSM.

Responsibilities

Support the design of spacecraft payload hardware, including single-board computers, SDRs, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, filters, and amplifiers, as well as software design and development.
Support selection and design of nanosatellite antenna technologies.
Develop link-budget analyses, simulations, traffic and capacity analyses, RF system design and dimensioning, and coverage and frequency plans.
Support spacecraft payload integration, testing, and delivery to launch and spacecraft bus partners or vendors.
Design and plan payload test configurations on the ground for communications-performance testing in the lab and in orbit.
Interface with the Systems Engineering team to inform constellation and network architecture and design based on RF communications-payload performance.
Perform bench-level mechatronics work, including testing, integration, assembly, programming, and prototyping of electronics hardware and software.
Conduct software-based Systems Engineering analysis.
Support development and maintenance of technical documentation for payload design and development.
Work independently and in a team environment.