Phased Array Antenna Engineer

Assured Space Access, Inc; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company matching

Job summary

Assured Space Access Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Phased Array Antenna Engineer in Irvine, CA. You will focus on array-level performance, including element and lattice design, scan behavior, and calibration.

You will work on site with the antenna team and radar groups, spending time in the lab and on the measurement range. Active collaboration across beamformer and software teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics with electromagnetics/antennas focus.
• 5+ years hands-on phased array antenna experience including array-level analysis.
• Experience with near-field or far-field measurements and data processing.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze array elements in their array environment and lattice.
• Develop and implement array calibration methods and report results.
• Plan and run antenna measurements on near-field and far-field ranges.
• Coordinate with beamformer and software teams to apply calibrations.

Skills

Phased array antenna knowledge

EM simulation tools

MATLAB/Python for modeling

Near-field/far-field measurement

Antenna calibration

Array pattern analysis

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics

5+ years hands-on phased array experience

Tools

HFSS

CST

FEKO

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Assured Space Access Technologies, Inc. is a defense and engineering firm delivering phased array, radar, RF payload, and secure communications solutions to government and prime contractor customers. We are headquartered in Irvine, California. Our Ground Based Radar team is building a mobile phased array radar, and the Antenna team owns the radiating aperture from element design through measured array performance.

Team: Engineering, Ground Based Radar (GBR), Antenna

Location: Irvine, CA (on-site)

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Base Salary Range: $135,000 – $185,000 per year

Clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. An active clearance is preferred.

Position Summary

As the Phased Array Antenna Engineer, you will focus on how the antenna performs as an array: element and lattice design for scan, mutual coupling and active element behavior, scan loss and grating lobe control, and the calibration and measurement that prove the array meets its patterns. While other antenna roles focus on radiating element design, this role focuses on array-level performance and obtaining measured data that matches the model.

You will work on site in Irvine with the Principal Antenna Engineer and the antenna team, the transmit/receive module and beamformer teams, and systems engineering. You will spend real time in the lab and on the measurement range, and you will own array calibration methods and the data they produce.

Key Responsibilities

Array Design and Analysis

• Design and analyze array elements in their array environment, including lattice selection, element spacing, and unit-cell and finite-array modeling.
• Analyze mutual coupling, active reflection coefficient, active element patterns, scan loss, scan blindness, and grating lobes across the scan volume.
• Develop array pattern models including amplitude taper, phase and amplitude errors, failed elements, and quantization, and report sidelobe and gain margins.
• Support trade studies with systems engineering on aperture size, element count, scan coverage, and polarization.

Calibration

• Develop and implement array calibration methods, such as mutual-coupling-based, near-field probe-based, or built-in calibration approaches.
• Define calibration data formats and work with the beamformer, DREX, and software teams to apply calibration in the radar.
• Track calibration stability over temperature and time, and drive corrective actions when channels drift.

Measurement and Test

• Plan and run antenna and array measurements on near-field and far-field ranges, including probe correction, near-field-to-far-field transformation, and pattern, gain, and polarization measurements.
• Correlate measured element and array data with simulations and identify sources of disagreement.
• Write test plans and reports, and present results in design reviews and to customers.
• Support integration and field testing of the array in the integrated radar.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics with an emphasis on electromagnetics or antennas.
• 5+ years of hands‑on phased array antenna experience, including array-level analysis and measured array hardware.
• Working knowledge of array theory: lattices, grating lobes, mutual coupling, active impedance, scan loss, and taper and error effects on sidelobes.
• Hands‑on experience with near‑field or far‑field antenna measurements and the associated data processing.
• Experience with array calibration or channel alignment on an active or passive phased array.
• Proficiency with EM simulation tools such as HFSS, CST, or FEKO, and with MATLAB or Python for array modeling and data analysis.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Ability to work on site in Irvine, CA.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering with an antennas or electromagnetics focus.
• Experience with AESA radar arrays and with arrays fed by transmit/receive modules.
• Experience setting up or operating a near‑field scanner, including range uncertainty analysis.
• Experience with digital beamforming arrays and element‑level or subarray‑level calibration.
• Active Secret or higher security clearance.
• Experience supporting array production test and acceptance.

What we offer

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company matching; and paid time off.
• Professional development support, including training and certifications relevant to your field.
• Relocation assistance considered case by case.
• Hands‑on ownership of real scope in a growing defense technology company.

Equal Opportunity

Assured Space Access Technologies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Compensation Range: $135K - $185K