Antenna Engineer: Parabolic & Waveguide RF

SpaceX; Union Hill-Novelty Hill (WA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental

401(k) retirement plan

Stock options

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

SpaceX in Washington State is seeking an Antenna Engineer - Parabolic & Waveguide for Starlink. You will own design and optimization of parabolic reflectors, waveguide feeds, and RF components from concept through manufacturing and on-orbit operation.

Candidates have 2+ years of RF/antenna experience and proficiency with 3D EM tools; masters/PhD are preferred. You will collaborate with mechanical, thermal, and test teams in a fast-paced startup environment with strong growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of research or development experience in RF, antennas, or microwave engineering.
• 1+ years of experience using 3D EM simulation tools such as CST, HFSS, FEKO, TICRA GRASP, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimization of parabolic reflector antennas and multi-band (10 - 100+ GHz) feed systems.
• Design of waveguide components including orthomode transducers (OMTs), polarizers, diplexers, filters, and transitions.
• Conduct design validation of components including vector network analyzer measurements, pattern measurements, and integrated active network testing.
• Fabricate and characterize prototypes of parabolic antennas, feed horns, and waveguide assemblies including pattern, gain, efficiency, and high-power testing.
• Partner with mechanical engineers to design and analyze surface accuracy, mechanical tolerances, and thermal distortion effects on RF performance.
• Design and test of antenna radomes that cover multiple bands.
• Design waveguide networks for high power systems and oversee high power RF testing.
• Contribute to the mechanical integration and deployment of reflector antennas and waveguide systems into spacecraft and ground infrastructure.
• Analyze in-the-field operational RF performance data and develop methods to improve antenna and waveguide performance.

Skills

RF engineering

Antenna design

Microwave engineering

3D EM simulation

Python MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's/PhD in EE (preferred)

Tools

CST

HFSS

FEKO

TICRA GRASP

Job description

SpaceX in Washington State is seeking an Antenna Engineer - Parabolic & Waveguide for Starlink. You will own design and optimization of parabolic reflectors, waveguide feeds, and RF components from concept through manufacturing and on-orbit operation.

Candidates have 2+ years of RF/antenna experience and proficiency with 3D EM tools; masters/PhD are preferred. You will collaborate with mechanical, thermal, and test teams in a fast-paced startup environment with strong growth opportunities.