Senior RF Engineer

Icarus•El Segundo, CA

About The Position

Icarus was founded on the belief that the Stratosphere is the Forgotten Frontier and that reclaiming it will define the next era of aerospace and what is possible from the sky. We build solar-powered aircraft that fly at 60,000 ft for weeks at a time, delivering persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from this layer of the atmosphere. Mission Re-establish and maintain dominance in the Stratosphere. What you’ll do Design, build, and fly RF and communications systems for long-endurance stratospheric aircraft Own RF subsystems end to end: architecture, link budgets, component selection, integration, test, and flight validation Design and integrate radios, antennas, RF front ends, and data links for LOS and BLOS operation Drive RF performance through analysis, simulation, bench testing, and flight data Lead EMI/EMC mitigation across avionics, power, and payload systems Work closely with avionics, GNC, electrical, mechanical, and software teams to deliver robust flight communications Support integration, production bring-up, and flight operations in the desert What we’re looking for 2+ years designing and deploying real RF systems for aerospace, defense, UAVs, or similarly demanding environments Strong fundamentals in RF theory, electromagnetics, and communications systems Experience with link budgets, antenna design or selection, RF propagation, and system-level trade studies Hands-on experience with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, power meters) Experience debugging RF systems in the field, not just in simulation Comfort working from first principles and validating performance through test and flight data Ability to move fast, own outcomes, and operate with minimal supervision Why Icarus Meaningful equity Top market salary and bonuses Health, dental, and vision insurance Factory in El Segundo Real ownership, real hardware, real flight Small team, massive responsibility High signal (engineering) to noise (management) culture Dream desk setup Daily lunch Unlimited celsius This is not a normal engineering job We are pioneers, not corporate managers. Icarus deliberately optimizes for a high signal (engineers) to noise (management) ratio, where engineering, flight, and execution matter more than process, politics, or management overhead You will work side by side with the CEO and a small team of world-class builders. You will own your subsystem end to end. Design it. Build it. Break it. Fix it. Validate it in the desert. Fly it. Then do it again, faster We expect full extreme ownership. This is a high-trust, no-BS team, and everyone pulls their weight We are hiring across the stack: mechanical, aerodynamics, RF, GNC, electrical, avionics, power electronics, energy storage, software, and systems We want builders. No hand-holding. No fluff. No fake projects. No slide decks. No sitting in meetings all day. Just raw engineering, real hardware, and real flight You must thrive under pressure, learn fast, troubleshoot in the field, and push hardware to its limits. We move fast. We go to Mojave at 4 am in the morning. We expect results and an obsession with quality and speed You will be a core executor of flight hardware, taking systems from concept to reality and driving rapid iteration loops. You will work across avionics, power electronics, energy storage, integration, and production bring-up. If you want real ownership, real hardware, and real flight milestones, this is it No tourists. No bystanders. Only builders. Hiring process Technical interview One-on-one with CEO Meet the team in-person US salary range $120,000 - $220,000 USD The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Icarus' total compensation package. We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Requirements

2+ years designing and deploying real RF systems for aerospace, defense, UAVs, or similarly demanding environments
Strong fundamentals in RF theory, electromagnetics, and communications systems
Experience with link budgets, antenna design or selection, RF propagation, and system-level trade studies
Hands-on experience with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, power meters)
Experience debugging RF systems in the field, not just in simulation
Comfort working from first principles and validating performance through test and flight data
Ability to move fast, own outcomes, and operate with minimal supervision

Responsibilities

Design, build, and fly RF and communications systems for long-endurance stratospheric aircraft
Own RF subsystems end to end: architecture, link budgets, component selection, integration, test, and flight validation
Design and integrate radios, antennas, RF front ends, and data links for LOS and BLOS operation
Drive RF performance through analysis, simulation, bench testing, and flight data
Lead EMI/EMC mitigation across avionics, power, and payload systems
Work closely with avionics, GNC, electrical, mechanical, and software teams to deliver robust flight communications
Support integration, production bring-up, and flight operations in the desert