Senior RF Systems Engineer

Arquimea; Madrid; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ARQUIMEA in Madrid (Calle Serrano Galvache, 56) leads RF system engineering for space communication payloads, taking technical ownership of the RF subsystem and coordinating with suppliers, customers and internal teams.

The role requires directing architecture definitions, verification activities, and budgets, while supporting new business opportunities and ensuring traceability to system requirements.

Qualifications

• Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field.
• +5 years RF/microwave engineering experience, preferably in space/defense/high-reliability systems.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical responsible for the RF subsystem, coordinating its design, development, integration, verification and qualification.
• Define RF subsystem architectures from concept level, including frequency plans, RF chains, interfaces and budgets.
• Support new business opportunities and technical proposals, defining preliminary RF architectures and assessing feasibility.
• Define, manage and maintain RF subsystem requirements, interfaces and verification criteria.
• Coordinate RF verification and test activities, including unit, subsystem and payload-level testing.
• Prepare and participate in project milestones and reviews.

Skills

RF engineering

Microwave systems

Systems architecture

VNA experience

Customer coordination

English proficiency

Education

Master's/Bachelor's in Telecom/Electrical/Electronics

Tools

VNAs

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

Power meters

Job description

ARQUIMEA, we are a technology company operating globally and providing innovate solutions and products in highly demanding sectors.

Our areas of activity are Aerospace, Defense & Security, Big Science, Biotechnology and Fintech.

Main function and scope:

• Lead the RF system engineering activities for space communication payloads, taking technical ownership of the RF subsystem, ensuring compliance with system requirements and coordination across all relevant disciplines, suppliers, customers, and stakeholders.

Core functions:

• Act as technical responsible for the RF subsystem, coordinating its design, development, integration, verification and qualification throughout the project lifecycle.
• Define RF subsystem architectures from concept level, translating mission and customer needs into feasible RF solutions, including architecture trade-offs, frequency plans, RF chains, technology selection, interfaces and preliminary performance budgets.
• Support new business opportunities and technical proposals, defining preliminary RF architectures, assessing technical feasibility, estimating development needs and risks, and contributing to technical proposals, compliance matrices and customer presentations.
• Define, manage and maintain RF subsystem requirements, interfaces, verification criteria and technical documentation.
• Define, develop and maintain RF subsystem architectures throughout the project lifecycle, including frequency plans, RF chains, interfaces, redundancy concepts, operational modes and associated technical budgets.
• Perform and review RF system analyses and budgets, including link budgets, gain, noise figure, output power, losses, linearity, spurious emissions, filtering and frequency conversion.
• Coordinate RF engineering activities and ensure alignment between internal teams, suppliers and project needs.
• Manage technical interfaces with other spacecraft disciplines, including thermal, mechanical, electrical/electronics, digital/FPGA, EMC, AIT and systems engineering.
• Coordinate technically with external suppliers and subcontractors, including requirements flow-down, technical follow-up, design reviews, technical clarifications and acceptance of deliverables.
• Act as an RF technical interface with the customer, supporting technical meetings, design reviews, action tracking and resolution of technical issues.
• Support component and equipment selection and evaluate supplier solutions against RF and system requirements.
• Define and coordinate RF verification and test activities, including unit, subsystem and payload-level testing.
• Review test plans, procedures, test results, anomalies and non-conformances, ensuring proper requirement verification and closure.
• Support and participate in AIT and environmental test campaigns, including RF performance verification before and after environmental testing.
• Identify and manage RF technical risks, dependencies, assumptions, trade-offs and critical interfaces.
• Prepare and participate in project milestones and reviews such as SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, QR and AR.
• Ensure technical consistency and traceability between customer requirements, system requirements, RF design, supplier specifications and verification evidence.

Required experience and candidate profile:

• Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field.
• +5 years of experience in RF/microwave engineering, preferably including space, defence, satellite communications or other high-reliability systems.

Technical Requirements:

Training / specific knowledge required in:

• Strong background in RF and microwave systems engineering, preferably for space, defence or high-reliability applications.
• Experience with RF architectures, including transmit/receive chains, frequency conversion, filtering, amplification and distribution.
• Knowledge of key RF parameters and analyses: gain, noise figure, P1dB, IP3, phase noise, spurious, harmonics, isolation, return loss and VSWR.
• Experience defining and managing RF requirements, interfaces and verification activities.
• Experience with RF test equipment such as VNAs, spectrum/signal analyzers, signal generators and power meters.
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary technical activities and manage interfaces with mechanical, thermal, electronics, digital and system engineering teams.
• Experience interacting technically with customers, suppliers and subcontractors.
• Ability to review supplier documentation, technical proposals, test reports and compliance matrices.
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills in English.

Nice-to-have training / specific knowledge:

• Experience in space communication payloads.
• Knowledge of DRA (Direct Radiating Array) architectures, active antennas, phased arrays or electronically steered antennas.
• Experience with RF systems in Ku, Ka or higher frequency bands.
• Knowledge of RFIC/MMIC technologies, LNAs, PAs, mixers, filters, switches and frequency synthesizers.
• Experience with antenna/RF simulations using CST, HFSS or similar tools.
• Knowledge of ECSS standards and space project lifecycle.
• Experience with environmental qualification and acceptance campaigns.
• Knowledge of EMC/EMI and its interaction with RF subsystem performance.
• Familiarity with RF payload calibration and end-to-end performance verification.

The position is located at our headquarters in Madrid, at Calle Serrano Galvache, 56.

We're looking for curious, creative, tenacious and collaborative people, eager to do things and unafraid to tackle challenges in order to contribute to improving the society in wich we live.

Think Big, Do the Job & Enjoy Life

At ARQUIMEA, we value diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or other protected factors by law. All candidates will be considered equally based on their skills and experience