Principal Radio Frequency Engineer

Lumex Talent; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 255,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumex Talent seeks a Principal RF Payload Lead Engineer to drive end-to-end architecture, design, and on-orbit performance of space-based RF payloads for D2D connectivity over LEO. Lead phased-array design, RF link budgets, and system integration across RF, digital, and software teams.

Responsibilities include OTA testing, verification planning, and alignment with 3GPP NTN standards, with leadership over external suppliers and mission operations support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical or Aerospace Engineering with RF focus.
• 8-10+ years of RF systems engineering experience.
• Experience designing, modeling, calibrating, and testing phased-array or electronically steered antennas.
• End-to-end lifecycle experience: requirements through flight delivery.
• Proficiency in RF simulation/EM solvers and RF test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Define RF payload architecture for space-to-ground D2D services.
• Lead design and optimization of electronically steered array antennas and beamforming.
• Manage end-to-end RF link budgets, Doppler compensation, and interference analysis.
• Define payload-to-bus interfaces spanning power, thermal, structural, EMI/EMC, and ICD management.
• Lead payload integration, OTA testing, and environmental qualification.
• Collaborate to ensure compatibility with 3GPP NTN standards and terrestrial integration.
• Provide technical direction to multidisciplinary teams and oversee suppliers.
• Support on-orbit commissioning and performance monitoring.

Skills

RF systems engineering

Phased-array design

Beamforming

RF simulation

EM solvers

VNA

Spectrum analyzers

Leadership

D2D/LTE-NTN knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

VNAs

Spectrum analyzers

Job description

Target Salary Range: $255,000 - $270,000 + equity program.

Location & Work Type

• Employment Type: Full-time

Role Overview

An established global Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) service provider is hiring a Principal RF Payload Lead Engineer to drive the end-to-end architecture, design, and on-orbit performance of advanced space-based RF communications payloads. This role owns the complete technical lifecycle- from early system requirements through hardware delivery, constellation integration, and mission operations support for flight-qualified phased-array payloads delivering direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity over LEO spacecraft.

Key Responsibilities

• Payload Architecture: Define and own the RF payload architecture for space-to-ground D2D services, including phased-array antennas, RF front ends, frequency planning, and cellular-aligned waveform selection.
• Phased-Array Design: Lead the design and optimization of electronically steered array antennas, beamforming strategies, scan performance, EIRP/G/T, and ground coverage optimization.
• Link & System Analysis: Manage end-to-end RF link budgets, modulation schemes, Doppler compensation, interference analysis, and regulatory considerations.
• Bus & System Interfaces: Define payload-to-bus interfaces spanning power, thermal, structural, EMI/EMC, command/telemetry, and ICD management.
• Integration & Test: Lead payload integration, functional testing, over-the-air (OTA) phased-array testing, and LEO environmental qualification.
• Standards Alignment: Collaborate with cellular RAN and core network engineering teams to ensure compatibility with 3GPP NTN standards and terrestrial network integration.
• Vendor & Team Leadership: Provide technical direction to multidisciplinary teams (RF, digital, software, baseband) and oversee external suppliers.
• Mission Operations: Support on-orbit commissioning, payload checkout, performance monitoring, and real-time anomaly resolution.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field focusing on RF or electromagnetics.
• 8-10+ years of experience in RF systems engineering, specifically delivering LEO satellite communications payloads or space-qualified RF hardware.
• Demonstrated expertise designing, modeling, calibrating, and testing phased-array or electronically steered antenna systems.
• Full lifecycle experience: requirements generation, design trade studies (SRR/PDR/CDR), hardware bring-up, environmental testing, and flight delivery.
• Proficiency in RF simulation/EM solvers and standard RF laboratory test equipment (VNAs, spectrum analyzers).
• Solid foundation in 4G LTE / 5G NR physical layer parameters, channelization, and adapting cellular standards to Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior leadership experience on direct-to-device (D2D) LEO satellite programs or 3GPP NTN architectures.
• Proven track record leading multidisciplinary teams delivering flight hardware for constellation-scale deployments.
• Familiarity with space systems engineering best practices (verification/validation, configuration control, risk mitigation).
• Active security clearance or eligibility.