Sr. RF Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX•Hawthorne, CA

About The Position

SpaceX is hiring a Senior RF Engineer for Starshield, which adapts Starlink technology and SpaceX launch capabilities to support national security efforts. Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. In this role, you will work on advanced development programs supporting U.S. National Security. You will collaborate with RF, DSP, software, and hardware engineers, as well as end users, to design and build RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low Earth orbit. The team works in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, rapidly developing solutions from design and demonstration through operational capability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering.
At least 5 years of RF engineering experience.
Experience with modeling or analysis tools and software such as HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python.
Experience with RF test equipment such as VNAs and spectrum analyzers.
Experience creating and maintaining link budgets and analyses related to communications or remote sensing systems.
Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
To meet ITAR requirements, must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in electrical engineering with an emphasis in microwave/RF engineering.
At least 5 years of professional experience in a relevant field.
Experience modeling RF and channel impairments such as multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading, and nonlinear distortion.
Experience designing RF systems for radio astronomy, SIGINT, ELINT, radar, or wireless communications.
Knowledge of basic antenna theory.
Experience with software-defined radios and frameworks such as GNU Radio.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

Drive program-level decisions on RF system designs.
Research novel solutions for unique, large-scale satellite RF systems.
Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software engineers to design and validate RF systems.
Develop and provide full life-cycle support for RF hardware, including PCBA board testing and defect detection, functional testing of assembled units, and resolution of on-orbit vehicle anomalies.
Create electromagnetic simulation models of hardware, including antennas, filters, and PCB layouts, to design and evaluate performance.
Modify electrical schematics and mechanical drawings for flight applications with regard to reliability and manufacturability.

Benefits

Potential eligibility for long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount.
Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various other discounts and perks.
Accrual of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
10 or more paid holidays per year.
Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy.
A 10% differential for employees with an active clearance who are officially briefed into a classified program, up to an additional $20,000 annually.