Senior Staff RF Design Engineer (RDE)

Northrop Grumman•Manhattan Beach, CA

38d•$177,000 - $265,600

About The Position

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history. Please be aware that this position is contingent upon capturing program award(s) and obtaining and maintaining associated business and/or customer funding. Position Summary We are seeking a Senior RF Design Engineer (T05) to serve as a Responsible Design Engineer (RDE) for advanced, space-qualified radio frequency (RF) hardware. In this technical leadership role, you will own the end-to-end development cycle—from requirements derivation and architecture design to simulation, prototyping, and qualification testing—for satellite payload and ground-based electronic warfare systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-performance, flight-worthy products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related STEM field and 12 Years of experience, 10 Years with Masters; 8 Years with PhD.
Demonstrated experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting active or passive RF hardware in the Aerospace & Defense industry.
Strong proficiency in RF/microwave engineering fundamentals (cascaded analysis, noise figure, linearity, gain) and hands-on experience with lab equipment (VNAs, Spectrum Analyzers).
Extensive experience with EDA tools, specifically Ansys HFSS, Keysight ADS, or National Instruments AWR Microwave Office.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance (Secret or higher).

Nice To Haves

Direct experience designing hardware that has flown on satellites or launch vehicles.
Experience with phased array antennas, beamforming, and complex, non-planar EM modeling.
Deep knowledge of MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461, and space environmental testing standards.
Experience acting as an RDE (Responsible Design Engineer) or IPT (Integrated Product Team) lead, with responsibility for technical schedule and budget.
Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for test automation and data analysis.

Responsibilities

Take technical ownership of RF modules, units, or subsystems (e.g., SSPAs, LNAs, Frequency Converters, Phased Array Antennas).
Perform complex RF/microwave circuit design, EM modeling, and simulation using tools such as Ansys HFSS, ADS, or CST.
Derive, document, and manage subsystem requirements from system-level mission specifications. Perform link budget, cascade, and gain/loss analyses.
Lead the development of space-qualified PCB layouts (mixed-signal), component selection, and packaging design.
Develop test plans, conduct characterization, and perform environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC) to ensure flight readiness.
Serve as technical lead during design reviews (PDR, CDR). Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with manufacturing to transition designs to production.