Electrical Engineer, Optical Communications

Cowboy Space Corporation; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Office lunch

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in California is seeking an RF Engineer to design and deploy advanced communication systems with a focus on high-speed optical links and SDR architectures.

This role sits at the boundary of networking, RF avionics, and embedded compute. You will own RF and hybrid RF/optical subsystems delivering high-throughput data links under motion, atmospheric interference, and limited power budgets, and work with avionics, firmware, and compute teams to integrate them into flight

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in RF systems or communications engineering
• Strong fundamentals in communication theory (modulation, coding, synchronization)
• Experience designing PCBA’s for communication systems
• Experience with software-defined radio platforms
• Hands-on with RF lab equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators, VNAs, oscilloscopes)
• Familiarity with link budgeting and system-level performance analysis

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and integrate communication PCBAs, modulators, and devices for airborne or space-based platforms
• Architect and implement SDR-based communication pipelines (modulation, encoding, synchronization, and signal processing)
• Develop high-speed optical communication links (free-space optics / laser comms), including link budgeting and pointing/tracking strategies
• Perform system-level trade studies from high-speed optical links
• Design and validate end-to-end communication chains from data streams to optical front-ends
• Collaborate with avionics, firmware, and compute teams to integrate comms into flight hardware
• Develop test infrastructure for lab and field validation, including over-the-air testing and optical link validation setups
• Analyze performance under real-world conditions (noise, interference, Doppler, atmospheric turbulence, pointing loss) and iterate

Skills

RF engineering

Communication theory

SDR platforms

RF testing

Education

Bachelor’s in EE/Physics

Tools

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

VNAs

Oscilloscopes

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp.

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on‑orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to‑space), powering on‑orbit compute to delivering secure, high‑bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

About Cowboy Space Corp.

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on‑orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to‑space), powering on‑orbit compute to delivering secure, high‑bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

The Role

We are looking for an RF Engineer to design and deploy advanced communication systems with a strong emphasis on high-speed optical communications and software‑defined radio architectures. This role sits at the boundary of networking, RF avionics, and embedded compute, requiring a systems‑level approach to building robust, flight‑capable communication pipelines.

You will own the development of RF and hybrid RF/optical communication subsystems capable of delivering high-throughput data links under real‑world constraints including motion, atmospheric interference, thermal variation, and limited power budgets.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and integrate communication PCBAs, modulators, and devices for airborne or space-based platforms
• Architect and implement SDR‑based communication pipelines (modulation, encoding, synchronization, and signal processing)
• Develop high‑speed optical communication links (free‑space optics / laser comms), including link budgeting, pointing and tracking, and alignment strategies with intelligent failover and redundancy
• Perform system‑level trade studies from high‑speed optical links
• Design and validate end‑to‑end communication chains, from data streams, through communication PCBAs, and to optical front‑ends
• Collaborate closely with avionics, firmware, and compute teams to integrate comms systems into flight hardware
• Develop test infrastructure for lab and field validation, including over‑the‑air testing and optical link validation setups
• Analyze performance under real‑world conditions (noise, interference, Doppler, atmospheric turbulence, pointing loss) and iterate rapidly
• Own documentation, interface definitions, and system performance metrics for communication subsystems

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in RF systems, communications engineering, or related domain
• Strong fundamentals in communication theory (modulation, coding, synchronization, signal propagation)
• Experience in designing PCBA’s for communication systems
• Experience with software‑defined radio platforms
• Hands‑on experience with RF lab equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators, VNAs, oscilloscopes)
• Familiarity with link budgeting and system‑level performance analysis
• Experience working across hardware and software boundaries

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing or deploying high‑speed optical communication systems (free‑space optics, laser communications, coherent optical links, or photonics)
• Background in avionics, aerospace systems, or other mission‑critical embedded environments
• Experience with real‑time DSP implementation on embedded systems, FPGAs, or GPUs
• Familiarity with SDR frameworks and low‑level radio hardware (e.g., USRPs or custom RF front‑ends)
• Understanding of atmospheric effects on both RF and optical propagation (scattering, absorption, turbulence)
• Experience with pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems for optical links
• Knowledge of antenna systems, phased arrays, or optical beam steering technologies
• Experience with high‑throughput data systems and low‑latency communication architectures
• Experience working within SWaP (size, weight, and power) constraints for flight systems
• Strong debugging skills across the full stack: RF front‑end, optical systems, firmware, and software

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 – $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.