RF Engineer for High-Speed Optical Space Links

Cowboy Space Corporation; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 219,000 - 276,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking an RF Engineer for the Avionics Team to design, develop, and validate RF hardware for spacecraft communications and data links.

You will own circuitry from architecture to flight qualification, collaborating with electrical, PCB, firmware, and test engineers to ensure robust operation in the space environment. This role emphasizes high-speed RF/optical interfaces, SI analysis, and lab validation, with opportunities to contribute to end-to-end terminals and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Photonics, or related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience designing RF circuitry for high-speed communication systems.
• Hands-on experience designing RF circuits to drive optical communication links (laser drivers, TIAs, modulator drivers).
• Direct experience with free-space/open-space laser communication systems.
• Proven experience working with high-speed RF communication links in the 1 Gbps to 50 Gbps range.
• Strong PCB design and layout experience for RF circuitry, including specialized RF PCB stack-ups.
• Proficiency with RF simulation and design tools (ADS, HFSS, or equivalent) and PCB design tools (Altium, Cadence Allegro).
• Experience with lab test and measurement equipment for high-speed RF characterization (network analyzers, BERTs, oscilloscopes, eye-diagram analysis).

Responsibilities

• Design RF driver and receiver circuitry for optical communication links supporting data rates up to 50 Gbps.
• Develop end-to-end RF signal chain architecture for laser diode drivers, modulators, and photodetector front-ends.
• Design and lay out high-speed RF/analog PCBs with impedance control.
• Perform signal integrity analysis and eye-diagram optimization for high-speed links.
• Collaborate with optics and photonics engineers to co-design electrical-to-optical interfaces.
• Support RF/optical terminal testing and integration in lab and field environments.
• Document design decisions and test results for design reviews and roadmaps.
• Stay current with advances in optical and RF components.

Skills

RF design

PCB layout

High-speed links

Signal integrity

RF simulation

Team collaboration

Education

BSc or MSc in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ADS

HFSS

Altium

Cadence Allegro

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking an RF Engineer for the Avionics Team to design, develop, and validate RF hardware for spacecraft communications and data links.

You will own circuitry from architecture to flight qualification, collaborating with electrical, PCB, firmware, and test engineers to ensure robust operation in the space environment. This role emphasizes high-speed RF/optical interfaces, SI analysis, and lab validation, with opportunities to contribute to end-to-end terminals and