Senior Phased-Array RF & Antenna Systems Engineer

Northwood Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 104,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space is seeking a Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer to define phased-array RF architectures for its satellite ground-station network. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, aperture, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking specifications to optimize end-to-end communications performance.

The role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications, collaborating with antenna, RF, DSP,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Applied Physics, or related discipline.
• 2+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF communication systems, or SATCOM terminals.
• Experience with communication-link analysis, including EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, link margin, atmospheric loss, and interference.
• Understanding of digital communications sufficient to relate RF performance to modulation-dependent EVM, acquisition, BER, throughput, and spectral performance.
• Experience defining or evaluating RF lineups, including noise figure, gain, linearity, dynamic range, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.
• Hands-on experience with RF measurements and integrated system debugging using VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generators, noise sources, and VSA equipment.

Responsibilities

• Define phased-array antenna and RF-system architectures for satellite communication ground stations.
• Translate requirements into aperture, RF front-end, beamforming, calibration, pointing, and tracking specifications.
• Develop and maintain end-to-end SATCOM link budgets including measured aperture and RF-chain performance.
• Analyze analog, hybrid, and digital beamforming approaches with RF and digital teams.
• Assess how impairments affect performance including EVM, acquisition, BER/BLER, throughput and spectral compliance.
• Analyze RF lineups and budgets for gain, noise figure, dynamic range, linearity, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.
• Build Python, MATLAB, or similar models combining array behavior, RF performance, propagation, and modem metrics.
• Lead cross-functional investigations of degraded G/T, EIRP, link margin, EVM, acquisition, tracking, BER, throughput, spectral performance.
• Support regulatory submissions, spectrum coordination, partner interface reviews, system acceptance, and deployment.

Skills

Phased-array knowledge

Antenna systems

RF communications

SATCOM terminals

RF measurements

G/T, EVM, BER/BLER understanding

Calibration and beamforming

Python/ MATLAB modelling

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

HFSS

CST

Vector network analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Job description

Northwood Space is seeking a Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer to define phased-array RF architectures for its satellite ground-station network. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, aperture, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking specifications to optimize end-to-end communications performance.

The role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications, collaborating with antenna, RF, DSP,