Director, RF Payloads

rocketlab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA seeks a Director, RF Payloads to lead the development of advanced radar payloads for space missions. You will oversee architecture, integration, testing, and flight development, guiding a team of RF engineers.

The role focuses on SAR processing, waveform design, and mission performance within a fast-paced environment. The candidate will manage multidisciplinary teams, support proposals, and interface with customers and mission stakeholders to ensure radar systems

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 12+ years in radar systems development.
• Hands-on experience delivering radar systems from requirements to operations.
• Deep SAR imaging knowledge and processing for space platforms.
• Experience with space-based radar in LEO/MEO/GEO configurations.
• Strong orbital mechanics and spacecraft design understanding.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of space-based radar payload systems from architecture to flight.
• Define radar payload requirements and performance metrics under orbital constraints.
• Conduct system design trades for new missions and waveform/antenna choices.
• Oversee calibration procedures and image quality assessment for spaceborne radar.
• Direct integration of radar payloads with spacecraft bus, power, and data systems.
• Lead mission planning activities and RF test campaigns.

Skills

Radar systems

SAR processing

Orbital mechanics

Spacecraft design

System architecture

Technical leadership

Proposal experience

Customer interface

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE/Aerospace

Job description

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we're not just launching rockets - we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it's a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space - our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

DIRECTOR, RF PAYLOADS

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, we are looking for a Director, RF Payload who will be responsible for leading the development of advanced radar payloads including SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and space-based radar systems. You will oversee the design, integration, and testing of radar payload subsystems and lead a team of RF engineers. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in radar system development, SAR processing, spaceborne radar missions, and payload integration, and will thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• System Leadership & Development
  • Lead the end-to-end development of space-based radar payload systems including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development - Ensure key design decisions and developments are in alignment with product / system needs
  • Define and maintain radar payload requirements specifications and performance metrics considering orbital parameters and mission constraints
  • Conduct radar system design trades in support of new business proposals and mission architectures including orbit selection and spacecraft impacts
  • Drive key design decisions for waveform design, antenna architecture, and signal processing chains optimized for space-based operations
  • Lead analyses including radar equation modeling for various orbits, clutter analysis, SNR, ambiguity resolution, and Doppler centroid variations
  • Oversee the development of radar calibration procedures and image quality assessment methodologies for spaceborne systems
  • Direct the integration of radar payloads with spacecraft bus systems including power budgets, thermal management, structural interfaces, and data handling architectures
  • Lead mission planning activities including ground track analysis, access time optimization and coverage requirements
  • Lead the development of test plans, procedures, and RF/radar test campaigns
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship to radar and RF engineering teams
  • Lead multidisciplinary teams for radar efforts including RF, digital, mechanical, thermal, structural, and software engineers
  • Drive innovation in space-based radar payload design and performance optimization
  • Support the development of GSE, calibration targets, and production automation
  • Develop product documentation including ICDs, ConOps, and User Manuals
  • Guide spacecraft-level design decisions to optimize radar payload performance
• Customer/Program Support
  • Lead proposal efforts and requirements assessments for space-based radar payload opportunities
  • Interface with customers, government agencies, and mission stakeholders
  • Lead engineering reviews such as SRRs, PDRs, CDRs, and TRRs
  • Provide expert technical support for radar system anomaly resolution
  • Maintain awareness of program schedules and ensure customer needs are satisfied

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related field and 12+ years of relevant experience
• Extensive hands-on experience developing and delivering radar systems from requirements through mission operations
• Deep knowledge of SAR imaging modes (stripmap, spotlight, ScanSAR, TOPS) and processing algorithms for space-based platforms
• Demonstrated experience with space-based radar systems including LEO, MEO, or GEO configurations
• Expert-level understanding of orbital mechanics and how orbit parameters affect radar performance including revisit time, coverage, and resolution
• Strong knowledge of spacecraft design principles including power systems, thermal control, attitude determination and control, and data handl