RF Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long-term incentives (stock)

Bonus potential

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Medical, vision, dental

401(k) retirement plan

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

3 weeks paid vacation

10+ paid holidays

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking an RF Engineer for the Starshield program to design and validate RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low Earth orbit. You will work with a cross-functional team in a fast-paced environment to iterate from design to operational capability.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in EE/CE and 1+ years in RF engineering with tools like HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, or Python, plus RF test equipment experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering.
• 1+ years RF engineering experience with modeling/analysis tools.
• Experience with RF test equipment like VNA and spectrum analyzer.

Responsibilities

• Drive program-level decisions on RF system designs
• Research novel solutions for large-scale satellite RF systems
• Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software teams to design RF systems
• Develop and support RF hardware lifecycle from PCBA testing to on-orbit issues
• Create electromagnetic simulation models of antennas, filters, and PCB layouts
• Modify schematics and drawings for flight reliability and manufacturability

Skills

RF Design

HFSS

CST

ADS

MATLAB

Python

VNA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

GNU Radio

FPGA

Radio Hardware

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

RF ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)

Starshield leverages SpaceX’s Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. As an RF engineer on the Starshield team, you will be working on advanced development programs in support of US National Security. You will work with a team of fellow RF engineers, DSP engineers, software engineers, hardware engineers and end users to design and build RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low earth orbit. You will work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment, where we are exploring unsolved problems and applying the SpaceX mindset of iterating rapidly to go from design and demo to operational capability at lightning pace.

Responsibilities

• Drive program-level decisions on RF system designs
• Research novel solutions for unique large-scale satellite RF systems
• Work in close collaboration with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software engineers to design and validate RF systems
• Responsible for development and full life cycle support of RF hardware spanning PCBA board testing and defect detection, full functional testing of an assembled unit, and resolving on-orbit vehicle anomalies
• Create electromagnetic simulation models of hardware (antennas, filters, PCB layout) to design and evaluate performance
• Modify electrical schematics and mechanical drawings for flight applications as they relate to reliability and manufacturability

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, or electrical engineering
• 1+ years of experience RF engineering:
  • Experience with modeling/analysis tools/software such as HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python
  • Experience with RF test equipment such as VNA, spectrum analyzer, etc.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering with emphasis in microwave/RF engineering
• 1+ years of professional experience in a relevant field
• Experience modeling RF and channel impairments such as multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading and nonlinear distortion
• Experience designing RF systems including radio astronomy, SIGINT, ELINT, radar, or wireless communications
• Experience with basic principles of antenna theory
• Experience with software-defined radios and frameworks, such as GNU Radio
• Understanding of link budgets and analysis related to communications and remote sensing systems
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret SCI clearance

Additional Requirements

• An active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation And Benefits

Pay Range:

Level 1: $125,000.00 - $160,000.00

Level 2: $145,000.00 - $195,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX.

• long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards
• potential discretionary bonuses
• the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan
• short and long-term disability insurance
• life insurance
• paid parental leave
• various other discounts and perks
• accrued 3 weeks of paid vacation
• eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year
• employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law

Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

Itar Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affi... or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].