RF & Antenna Systems Engineer

Northwood Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 104,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space is seeking a Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer to define phased-array RF architectures for its satellite ground-station network. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, aperture, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking specifications to optimize end-to-end communications performance.

The role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications, collaborating with antenna, RF, DSP,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Applied Physics, or related discipline.
• 2+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF communication systems, or SATCOM terminals.
• Experience with communication-link analysis, including EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, link margin, atmospheric loss, and interference.
• Understanding of digital communications sufficient to relate RF performance to modulation-dependent EVM, acquisition, BER, throughput, and spectral performance.
• Experience defining or evaluating RF lineups, including noise figure, gain, linearity, dynamic range, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.
• Hands-on experience with RF measurements and integrated system debugging using VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generators, noise sources, and VSA equipment.

Responsibilities

• Define phased-array antenna and RF-system architectures for satellite communication ground stations.
• Translate requirements into aperture, RF front-end, beamforming, calibration, pointing, and tracking specifications.
• Develop and maintain end-to-end SATCOM link budgets including measured aperture and RF-chain performance.
• Analyze analog, hybrid, and digital beamforming approaches with RF and digital teams.
• Assess how impairments affect performance including EVM, acquisition, BER/BLER, throughput and spectral compliance.
• Analyze RF lineups and budgets for gain, noise figure, dynamic range, linearity, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.
• Build Python, MATLAB, or similar models combining array behavior, RF performance, propagation, and modem metrics.
• Lead cross-functional investigations of degraded G/T, EIRP, link margin, EVM, acquisition, tracking, BER, throughput, spectral performance.
• Support regulatory submissions, spectrum coordination, partner interface reviews, system acceptance, and deployment.

Skills

Phased-array knowledge

Antenna systems

RF communications

SATCOM terminals

RF measurements

G/T, EVM, BER/BLER understanding

Calibration and beamforming

Python/ MATLAB modelling

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

HFSS

CST

Vector network analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Job description

About Northwood:

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role:
As an Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer you will define and evaluate phased-array RF architectures for Northwood’s satellite ground-station network. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, aperture, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking requirements, and evaluate how those choices affect end-to-end communications performance.

This role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications. You will work closely with antenna, RF, DSP/communications, digital, mechanical, manufacturing, software, and operations teams to ensure that the complete ground-station system achieves its required link performance.

The ideal candidate has deep experience in phased-array or antenna systems and can reason beyond the aperture—connecting gain, scan loss, polarization, sidelobes, noise, linearity, phase noise, calibration, and propagation to EVM, acquisition, BER, throughput, and link availability.

Responsibilities:

• Define phased-array antenna and RF-system architectures for satellite communication ground stations.

• Translate mission, coverage, link-availability, waveform, throughput, and regulatory requirements into aperture, RF front-end, beamforming, calibration, pointing, and tracking specifications.

• Develop and maintain end-to-end SATCOM link budgets incorporating measured aperture and RF-chain performance.

• Analyze analog, hybrid, and digital beamforming approaches in collaboration with RF and digital implementation teams.

• Determine how antenna and RF impairments affect communications performance, including EVM, carrier acquisition, BER/BLER, throughput, spectral compliance, and link availability.

• Analyze RF lineups and performance budgets for gain, noise figure, dynamic range, linearity, compression, intermodulation, phase noise, frequency stability, filtering, and isolation.

• Build Python, MATLAB, or similar models combining array behavior, measured RF performance, propagation, and modem-level metrics.

• Lead cross-functional investigations of degraded G/T, EIRP, link margin, EVM, acquisition, tracking, BER, throughput, or spectral performance.

• Support regulatory submissions, spectrum coordination, partner interface reviews, system acceptance, and operational deployment.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.

• 2+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF communication systems, or SATCOM terminals.

• Experience with communication-link analysis, including EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, link margin, atmospheric loss, and interference.

• Understanding of digital communications sufficient to relate RF performance to modulation-dependent EVM, acquisition, BER, throughput, and spectral performance.

• Experience defining or evaluating RF lineups, including noise figure, gain, linearity, dynamic range, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.

• Hands‑on experience with RF measurements and integrated system debugging using equipment such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise sources, and vector signal analyzers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with SATCOM waveforms and standards such as DVB‑S2/S2X, CCSDS, or equivalent modem architectures.

• Experience analyzing modulation‑dependent EVM, BER/BLER, adjacent‑channel leakage, spectral regrowth, amplifier backoff, and link degradation.

• Experience with SDR‑integrated RF systems or collaboration with FPGA, DSP, modem, and embedded‑software teams.

• Experience with HFSS, CST, or comparable full‑wave electromagnetic tools.

• Familiarity with radar, sensing, 5G NR, 802.11ad/ay, MIMO, multi‑beam systems, or electronic‑warfare systems where the experience transfers to array and RF‑system architecture.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation:

RF/Antenna Engineer/Level 1: $104,000 - $130,000 per year

RF/Antenna Engineer/Level 2: $124,000 - $155,000 per year

Additional Information:

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you 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.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.