RF Test Engineer I - Spacecraft Telemetry & RF Validation

Inversion; California; On-site; USD 106,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is seeking an RF Test Engineer to verify, validate, integrate, and characterize flight and ground RF/Telemetry systems for next-generation re-entry vehicles. You will join the Avionics team and own development and execution of RF test plans through hardware test and mission-readiness verification.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and contribute to test data reports, automation, and environmental campaigns, ensuring high reliability in demanding aerospace contexts.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field with RF emphasis.
• 1–3 years of RF test, measurement, validation, or integration experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. security clearance up to Top Secret.
• Hands-on RF test and measurement for component, subsystem, and system validation.
• Proficiency with lab equipment: spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters.
• Experience with test automation using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute RF test plans, procedures, and verification methods for components and systems.
• Set up and troubleshoot laboratory test configurations for RF validation.
• Measure RF performance: gain, noise figure, bandwidth, linearity, and interferences.
• Conduct RF tests using standard lab equipment and document results.
• Support integration and debugging of RF hardware across development and test stages.
• Coordinate with RF, antenna, DSP, FPGA, software, and electrical teams during tests.

Skills

RF test and measurement

Python scripting

MATLAB

LabVIEW

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Spectrum Analyzers

Vector Network Analyzers

Oscilloscopes

Power Meters

Multimeters

Job description

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.

The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.

Position Overview:

As an RF Test Engineer, you will be responsible for the verification, validation, integration, and performance characterization of flight and ground RF/Telemetry systems for Inversion’s next-generation re-entry vehicles. You will sit within the Avionics team and own the development and execution of RF test plans - taking systems from benchtop validation through integrated hardware testing and mission-readiness verification.

You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics. Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they support, including development, test, integration, and troubleshooting. You will help develop critical hardware and systems for cutting-edge maneuverable reentry vehicles - advancing one of the most capable reentry vehicle platforms ever developed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute RF test plans, procedures, and verification methods for components, subsystems, and integrated vehicle systems.
• Set up, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory test configurations for receiver, transmitter, and antenna validation.
• Measure and characterize RF performance including gain, insertion loss, return loss, noise figure, linearity, bandwidth, spurious response, dynamic range, and interference susceptibility.
• Perform component-, subsystem-, and system-level RF test and measurement activities using standard laboratory equipment such as spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
• Support integration, debug, and troubleshooting of RF hardware in development, qualification, and test environments.
• Collect, analyze, and document test data in formal reports, summaries, and engineering briefings.
• Assist in verification of requirements and support qualification, acceptance, and environmental test campaigns.
• Coordinate closely with RF, antenna, DSP, FPGA, software, and electrical engineering teams during integration and test activities.
• Improve test efficiency, repeatability, and data quality through automation using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools.
• Support over-the-air and antenna test activities, including range setup and validation, as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field with RF emphasis.
• Typically 2+ years of professional experience (or intensive academic/project experience) in RF test, measurement, validation, or integration.
• Hands-on RF test and measurement experience for component, subsystem, and system-level validation.
• Proficiency with common laboratory equipment such as spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters, multimeters, and power supplies.
• Experience with RF test setup development, calibration, troubleshooting, and data collection.
• Familiarity with receiver/transmitter performance metrics including gain, noise figure, linearity, spurious response, bandwidth, and dynamic range.
• Ability to develop test plans, test procedures, and formal test reports.
• Experience with test automation using Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools.
• Understanding of integration issues across RF, digital, and embedded hardware systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical results clearly to multidisciplinary teams.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with antenna and over-the-air test methods.
• Familiarity with S-band and L-band communication or telemetry systems.
• Familiarity with aerospace and defense test and qualification standards, such as MIL-STD-810/461, DO-160, and SMC-S-016 requirements, as applied to RF and avionics hardware.
• Familiarity with S-parameters and their use in evaluating RF component and system performance.
• Experience supporting environmental qualification testing, including EMI/EMC, vibration, thermal, shock, and thermal vacuum (TVAC).
• Knowledge of telemetry and range safety standards such as IRIG-106 and common digital modulation schemes.
• Experience with automated data acquisition, test scripting, and post-processing pipelines.
• Familiarity with fault isolation and root-cause analysis for RF hardware failures in integrated systems.
• Experience working with RF systems in aerospace, spacecraft, launch vehicle, or other mission-critical applications.
• Ability to support fast-paced prototype development and integration efforts in small, highly collaborative teams.
• Prior experience in startups or small independent engineering teams.

Additionally: Level I Consideration – We are also open to considering qualified candidates for the RF Test Engineer I level. Candidates should possess all of the qualifications listed above, with 1+ years of professional experience in RF test engineering, preferably in aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability environments. The compensation range for the RF Test Engineer I position is $77,000–$116,000.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $106,000 - $150,000. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.

Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.

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To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Do you meet the above criteria? * Select...

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