Director, Spaceborne Radar Payloads

Kapta Space; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 215,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Kapta Space, a VC-backed startup in Seattle, seeks a Director of Radar Payloads to lead end-to-end development of spaceborne electronically‑steered radar payloads. You will oversee RF/microwave, antennas, FPGA processing, power, mechanicals, and interfaces, guiding design reviews, qualification, and on‑orbit checkout.

The role demands hands-on leadership, strong communication, and a track record delivering complex payloads on schedule, with a clear path to manufacturing handoff and customer

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related STEM discipline.
• 10+ years of experience developing complex RF, radar, communications, or space payload hardware.
• Senior technical leader ownership of architecture and delivery of complex payloads.
• 6+ years of engineering leadership leading multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Own radar payload architecture and baseline across RF front-ends, digital processing, timing, power, thermal and control electronics.
• Lead full payload lifecycle from requirements through design reviews, qualification, and on-orbit checkout.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary payload team with accountability and innovation.
• Partner with Systems Engineering, radar algorithms, software/firmware, GNC, spacecraft, manufacturing, QA, and supply chain to achieve mission performance.
• Own payload V&V, calibration, and flight-readiness strategy including RF/beam performance and environmental qualification.
• Manage integrated plans, budgets, schedules, milestones, risks, and recovery actions with PMO.
• Drive manufacturability, testability, reliability, cost, and transition to repeatable production.

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related STEM

Job description

Kapta Space, a VC-backed startup in Seattle, seeks a Director of Radar Payloads to lead end-to-end development of spaceborne electronically‑steered radar payloads. You will oversee RF/microwave, antennas, FPGA processing, power, mechanicals, and interfaces, guiding design reviews, qualification, and on‑orbit checkout.

The role demands hands-on leadership, strong communication, and a track record delivering complex payloads on schedule, with a clear path to manufacturing handoff and customer