RF Spatial Engineer

Tower Eleven; Garden Grove (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Tower Eleven is seeking an experienced RF Spatial Engineer to design, develop, and validate high-power RF hardware for aerospace, defense, and satellite communications applications. You’ll own RF hardware through the full development lifecycle, from architecture to production support, focusing on SSPAs, BUCs, and quasi-optical power combining.

The ideal candidate will be hands-on at the lab bench, capable of circuit design, simulations, and collaborating with manufacturing to transition

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, RF engineering, or another relevant field.
• At least three years of direct, hands-on experience designing, simulating, building, and testing RF or microwave circuits and subsystems.
• Experience with high-power RF hardware, including SSPAs, BUCs, power amplifiers, or comparable microwave subsystems.
• Experience using RF or electromagnetic simulation platforms such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, or CST.
• Hands-on proficiency with RF laboratory equipment, including VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Experience measuring RF performance characteristics such as gain, efficiency, output power, noise figure, linearity, stability, and thermal behavior.
• Strong mathematical, analytical, and spatial-reasoning abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex RF hardware and resolve model-to-hardware performance discrepancies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and comfortable taking ownership in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Ability to work onsite in Cypress, California.

Responsibilities

• Design advanced spatial and quasi-optical power-combining architectures.
• Architect, simulate, and develop RF and microwave circuits and subsystems, including SSPAs, BUCs, power amplifiers, frequency converters, synthesizers, filters, mixers, and transmit/receive modules.
• Perform electromagnetic and RF/microwave simulations using tools such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, and CST.
• Translate system-level performance requirements and simulation results into optimized, production-ready hardware.
• Select, source, and evaluate RF components, including transistors, mixers, switches, and passive components.
• Develop detailed test and hardware-validation plans.
• Configure and operate VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Characterize prototype hardware for gain, output power, efficiency, noise figure, linearity, stability, and thermal performance.
• Investigate performance discrepancies and conduct troubleshooting, failure analysis, and root-cause analysis.
• Partner with mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, test, and quality engineers to ensure designs are reliable and manufacturable.
• Support new product introduction activities, including design reviews, manufacturability assessments, prototype builds, and production ramp-up.
• Resolve RF design, testing, reliability, and manufacturing issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare design reports, test results, failure reports, root-cause analyses, and manufacturing-support documentation.
• Contribute to RF technology roadmaps and continuous product and process improvement.

Skills

RF design

Circuit design and testing

Troubleshooting

Analytical reasoning

Communication

Spatial reasoning

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ADS

AWR Microwave Office

HFSS

CST

VNA

Spectrum analyzers

Oscilloscopes

Power meters

Job description

RF Spatial Engineer

Location: Cypress, California
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Employment Type: Full-time, Direct Hire
Relocation Assistance: May be available for the right candidate

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced RF Spatial Engineer to design, develop, and validate advanced RF and microwave hardware for mission-critical aerospace, defense, and satellite communications applications.

In this role, you will own RF hardware throughout the complete development lifecycle—from initial architecture, simulation, and circuit design through prototype testing, product integration, and production support. Your work will focus on high-power, high-frequency systems, including Solid-State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs), Block Upconverters (BUCs), and spatial or quasi-optical power-combining architectures.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on RF engineer who is equally comfortable designing circuits, running simulations, working at the lab bench, troubleshooting prototype hardware, and collaborating with manufacturing teams to move products into production.

What You’ll Do

• Design advanced spatial and quasi-optical power-combining architectures.
• Architect, simulate, and develop RF and microwave circuits and subsystems, including SSPAs, BUCs, power amplifiers, frequency converters, synthesizers, filters, mixers, and transmit/receive modules.
• Perform electromagnetic and RF/microwave simulations using tools such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, and CST.
• Translate system-level performance requirements and simulation results into optimized, production-ready hardware.
• Select, source, and evaluate RF components, including transistors, mixers, switches, and passive components.
• Develop detailed test and hardware-validation plans.
• Configure and operate VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Characterize prototype hardware for gain, output power, efficiency, noise figure, linearity, stability, and thermal performance.
• Investigate performance discrepancies and conduct troubleshooting, failure analysis, and root-cause analysis.
• Partner with mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, test, and quality engineers to ensure designs are reliable and manufacturable.
• Support new product introduction activities, including design reviews, manufacturability assessments, prototype builds, and production ramp-up.
• Resolve RF design, testing, reliability, and manufacturing issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare design reports, test results, failure reports, root-cause analyses, and manufacturing-support documentation.
• Contribute to RF technology roadmaps and continuous product and process improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, RF engineering, or another relevant engineering field.
• At least three years of direct, hands-on experience designing, simulating, building, and testing RF or microwave circuits and subsystems.
• Experience with high-power RF hardware, including SSPAs, BUCs, power amplifiers, or comparable microwave subsystems.
• Experience using one or more RF or electromagnetic simulation platforms, such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, or CST.
• Hands-on proficiency with RF laboratory equipment, including VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Experience measuring and analyzing RF performance characteristics such as gain, efficiency, output power, noise figure, linearity, stability, and thermal behavior.
• Strong mathematical, analytical, and spatial-reasoning abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex RF hardware and resolve model-to-hardware performance discrepancies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and comfortable taking ownership in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Ability to work onsite in Cypress, California.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing or testing spatial or quasi-optical power-combining systems.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, satellite communications, radar, or electronic-warfare programs.
• Experience moving RF hardware from concept and prototype development into NPI and full production.
• Knowledge of design for manufacturability, component qualification, environmental testing, and high-reliability electronics.
• Experience working cross-functionally with mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, test, and quality engineering teams.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary for this position is $155,000–$165,000 annually , depending on experience, technical capabilities, education, and overall alignment with the position. Relocation assistance may be considered for an exceptionally qualified candidate.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.