RF Engineer - Satellite Systems (San Jose California)

Astro Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Astro Digital is seeking an experienced RF Engineer to design and analyze RF subsystems for next-generation satellite platforms. You will own end-to-end RF board development—from schematic to layout and testing—while collaborating with mechanical, systems, and mission teams to deliver reliable flight hardware.

The role requires hands-on development, simulations, prototyping, and testing across the RF chain, with emphasis on space-grade performance and high reliability.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5 years minimum of experience in RF design, layout, and test.
• Strong background in RF receive/transmit chain design and cascade analysis.
• Hands-on experience with Altium Designer for RF layout.
• Proficiency with RF design and simulation tools (MATLAB RF and Antenna Toolbox and HFSS).
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment such as VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and power meters.

Responsibilities

• Design and test RF boards from start to finish.
• Develop RF receive and transmit chains, including LNAs, filters, mixers, PAs, and frequency conversion stages.
• Perform cascade analysis for noise figure, gain, linearity, and dynamic range across RF chains.
• Contribute to link budgets and verify compliance with system requirements.
• Support antenna design, selection, and integration, ensuring proper impedance matching and radiation performance.
• Document designs, analyses, and test results for internal teams and external stakeholders.

Skills

RF design

RF layout

RF test

Altium Designer

Schematic capture

Cascade analysis

Antenna integration

Link budgets

Lab testing

VNA testing

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

MATLAB RF

HFSS

Job description

We are seeking an experienced RF Engineer (5–10 years) to design and analyze RF subsystems for next-generation satellite platforms. In this role, you’ll be responsible for end-to-end RF chain design — including receive paths, transmit chains, front-end modules, and antenna integration and system performance optimization.

This is a hands-on role where you’ll take designs from concept through analysis, simulation, prototyping, and test, working closely with mechanical, systems, and mission teams to deliver reliable flight hardware.

What You’ll Do

• Design, create schematic, create layout and test RF boards - full ownership of a RF board from start to finish
• Design and develop RF receive and transmit chains, including LNAs, filters, mixers, PAs, and frequency conversion stages.
• Perform cascade analysis for noise figure, gain, linearity, and dynamic range across RF chains.
• Contribute to link budgets and verify compliance with system requirements.
• Support antenna design, selection, and integration, ensuring proper impedance matching and radiation performance.
• Perform RF board schematic and layout in Altium Designer, including grounding, shielding, and impedance control best practices.
• Select and qualify RF components suitable for space and high-reliability environments.
• Perform lab testing and characterization using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and other RF equipment.
• Support system-level integration and troubleshoot RF issues during bring-up and test and on-orbit analysis and debugging.
• Document designs, analyses, and test results for internal teams and external stakeholders.

What We’re Looking For

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5 years minimum of experience in RF design, layout, and test.
• Strong background in RF receive/transmit chain design and cascade analysis.
• Hands-on experience with Altium Designer (or equivalent PCB CAD tool) for RF layout.
• Deep understanding of RF performance trade-offs: noise figure, gain, IP3, linearity, sensitivity, and power efficiency.
• Proficiency with RF design and simulation tools (Matlab RF and Antenna Toolbox and HFSS).
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment such as VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and power meters.
• Excellent problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Bonus:

• Experience with spacecraft RF systems, ground station hardware, or aerospace communications.
• Knowledge of antenna arrays, beamforming, or phased-array systems.
• Familiarity with modulation schemes, digital signal processing, or SDR integration.
• Understanding of radiation effects and environmental testing for high-reliability RF hardware.
• Experience with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Software Defined Radio (SDR).
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages, especially C/C++ and Python.

Why Join Us?

• Ownership of RF designs that enable cutting-edge satellite communications.
• Work on both receive and transmit systems, from concept to flight hardware.
• Join a collaborative team where your RF expertise directly impacts mission success.