Spaceborne Microwave RF Architect - Hybrid Role

Airbus; Getafe; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation days

Hybrid work model

Life insurance

Health insurance

Employee stock options

Retirement plan

Job summary

Airbus Defence and Space SAU in Getafe (Madrid) seeks a Microwave Radiometer RF Architect to define and drive the RF system architecture for spaceborne radiometers across current and future satellite missions. You will lead end-to-end instrument design from concept through verification, testing, and in-orbit support within the Microwave Instrument Engineering Team.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive microwave engineering expertise, and the ability to interface with customers.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MSc) or PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or Physics.
• 5 to 10 years of professional experience in remote sensing microwave instrument design and payload development for space applications.
• Deep command of passive microwave sensing, brightness/noise temperature theory, calibration topologies, active/passive antenna interfaces, and RF simulation suites (ADS, CST, HFSS).
• Advanced English; Spanish is valuable; French or German desirable.
• Solid understanding of ESA development lifecycles and space engineering standards (ECSS, MIL-STD, CCSDS).

Responsibilities

• Define RF system architectures for spaceborne radiometer payloads (L-band up to sub-THz) and lead technical trade-offs balancing RF performance, mass, DC power, and thermal constraints.
• Design and optimize high-sensitivity low-noise receivers, RF front-ends, and calibration subsystems, maintaining end-to-end budgets.
• Develop high-fidelity electromagnetic and circuit-level simulations to validate architecture concepts under flight conditions.
• Generate and maintain Verification Control Documents (VCD) and lead Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments.
• Steer payload Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) and define in-orbit commissioning roadmaps in line with ECSS standards.
• Represent RF engineering in ESA/customer milestones and lead the technical baseline for future Earth Observation instruments.

Skills

English proficiency

Spanish language

Leadership

Multitasking

Customer interface

Education

Master’s or PhD in relevant field

Tools

Keysight ADS

CST Studio

ANSYS HFSS

Job description

Airbus Defence and Space SAU in Getafe (Madrid) seeks a Microwave Radiometer RF Architect to define and drive the RF system architecture for spaceborne radiometers across current and future satellite missions. You will lead end-to-end instrument design from concept through verification, testing, and in-orbit support within the Microwave Instrument Engineering Team.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive microwave engineering expertise, and the ability to interface with customers.