RF Hardware Intern (Summer 2027) New San Francisco

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis seeks a RF Hardware Intern for Summer 2027 to work on microwave RF sub-systems and spacecraft integration at our Northern California headquarters. You will design, simulate, implement, and measure RF blocks like LNAs, amplifiers, filters, and oscillators as part of our hands-on hardware team.

Internship lasts twelve weeks and targets current four-year university students; top performers may transition to an Associate Engineer role. U.S.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's Degree program in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or related technical field.
• Passion for hardware development and hands-on design & development in a fast-paced environment.
• Deep knowledge of RF concepts such as transmission lines, impedance matching, and filter design.
• Hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing RF hardware for microwave frequencies.
• Experience with RF measurement tools and RF simulation tools (ADS or HFSS).
• Don’t meet all criteria? Apply anyway.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, implement, and measure passive/active RF sub-systems at microwave frequencies (LNAs, PA, up/down convertors, filters, oscillators).
• Integrate RF sub-systems into the spacecraft in collaboration with the team.

Skills

Hands-on hardware

RF concepts

RF measurements

Fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering/physics/applied physics

Tools

ADS

HFSS

Signal generators

Spectrum analyzers

Network analyzers

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 Intern (Summer 2027)

Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks, and are hourly roles designed for students who are currently enrolled at a four-year university. As an Intern, 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, no matter their seniority. Many past interns have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many of them are now full-time employees at Astranis. If you have already graduated from a four-year university, please apply to be an Associate Engineer.

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

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's Degree program inelectrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or related technical field
• Passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
• 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 pay for this position is $29.00 per hour.

Base Hourly Pay

$29 - $29 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.