RF Hardware Associate (Summer 2027)

XYZ Venture Capital; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is seeking an Associate RF Hardware Engineer for Summer 2027 to design, simulate and test RF sub-systems used in space hardware. You will work on microwave-frequency hardware in a fast-paced environment with a team supporting satellite projects destined for space missions.

Role emphasizes hands-on design, RF measurements, and collaboration across engineering disciplines. Prior internship or degree in RF areas is valued; U.S.

Qualifications

• Four-year degree in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of RF concepts: transmission lines, impedance matching, filters.
• Hands-on design and testing of RF hardware for microwave frequencies.
• Experience with RF simulation tools (ADS or HFSS) and RF measurements.
• Self-starter; able to apply even if not meeting all criteria.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, implement, and measure passive/active RF sub-systems at microwave frequencies, including LNAs, power amplifiers, up/down convertors, filters, oscillators.
• Integrate these systems into the spacecraft by collaborating with the team.

Skills

RF hardware design

RF concepts

Hands-on design

RF measurements

Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

ADS

HFSS

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

Network analyzers

Altium

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

RF Hardware Engineer Associate (Summer 2027)

Associate Engineer positions typically last for twelve weeks, and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor's degree (or who will have done so before working at Astranis).

As an Associate Engineer, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems — we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, and our Associate Engineers work on projects that are of equal importance and difficulty to the projects we give our full-time employees. Many past Associate Engineers have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many now work at Astranis full-time.

Role

• Design, simulate, implement, and measure passive/active RF sub-systems at microwave frequencies, including; LNAs, power amplifiers, up/down convertors, filters, oscillators, etc.
• Integrate these systems into the spacecraft by working closely with the rest of the team

Requirements

• Passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
• Hold a four-year degree in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or related technical field
• Deep knowledge of basic RF concepts, such as transmission lines, impedance matching, filter design, and active RF circuits
• Hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing RF hardware for microwave frequencies
• Experience with RF simulation tools (ADS or HFSS)
• Experience taking RF measurements with spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers, etc.
• Don’t meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

Bonus

• Antennas and Electromagnetics propagation knowledge and background
• Experience with Software Defined Radios (SDR)
• Experience with PCB design using Altium or similar schematic and layout tools
• Experience with Python (or other object-oriented programming language)
• Experience automating RF measurements

The base salary for this position is $1,925 per week.

Base Salary

$1,925 — $1,925 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.