RF Systems Architect — Modem-to-Antenna Lead (Ku/Ka)

EUTELSAT SA; Issy-les-Moulineaux; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Eutelsat is seeking an experienced RF Systems Architect to own the radio chain for its next-generation LEO/multi-orbit terminals. You will oversee modem-to-antenna interfaces, RF budgets, and measurement campaigns, working with partners to ensure budgets meet performance targets.

Based in Europe with flexible work options, you will contribute to architecture decisions, tooling, and the creation of budgets and interface documents that enable a growing RF capability within Eutelsat.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree or MSc in electronics, RF engineering, electromagnetics or telecommunications.
• 7+ years in RF systems or RF hardware engineering with responsibility for budgets and architecture.
• Strong command of RF budgeting: noise figure, gain cascade, linearity, EIRP, G/T, LO planning and spur analysis.
• Fluent professional English.

Responsibilities

• Own the modem-to-antenna interface control document and keep it alive through the programme: digital/analogue interfaces, lane rates, latency, IQ options, sampling/clocking, distribution, telemetry, beam commands, calibration data, and gain/AGC allocation.
• Own end-to-end RF budgets and traceability to service performance: G/T, EIRP, noise figure, gain cascade, linearity, IMD, power-back-off, spurious/harmonics, image rejection, LO plan, filtering, and selectivity.
• Own the phase noise budget across reference oscillator, PLL and synthesisers, and translate its effect on carrier tracking, EVM and demodulation margin.
• Allocate impairment budget between radio chain and physical layer and arbitrate necessary trade-offs.
• Assess electronically steered antenna design: array architecture, beamforming, patterns, scan loss, sidelobes, polarization, calibration drift, pointing accuracy, beam switching time, and link availability.
• Review modem module radio chain: transceiver, RFIC, up/down conversion, filtering, gain distribution, isolation, shielding, and interface constraints.
• Define RF measurement plans and oversee campaigns; verify results against budgets using conducted measurements, anechoic/near-field patterns, EIRP and G/T verification, EVM/spectral behavior.
• Define acceptance criteria for RF deliverables and lead technical reviews with partners, basing positions on analysis and measurements.

Skills

RF systems budgeting

Antenna fundamentals

RF hardware interface

Phase noise & jitter

Measurement & test

Matlab/Python budgeting models

Interface control documents

Design review

Export control eligibility

English proficiency

Education

Engineering degree or MSc in electronics, RF engineering, electromagnetics or telecommunications

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Vector Signal Analyzers

Spectrum Analyzers

Job description

Eutelsat is seeking an experienced RF Systems Architect to own the radio chain for its next-generation LEO/multi-orbit terminals. You will oversee modem-to-antenna interfaces, RF budgets, and measurement campaigns, working with partners to ensure budgets meet performance targets.

Based in Europe with flexible work options, you will contribute to architecture decisions, tooling, and the creation of budgets and interface documents that enable a growing RF capability within Eutelsat.