Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer

Northwood Space; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Comprehensive health care

Flexible vacation

Retirement savings plans

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

A leading aerospace company in Torrance, CA is looking for an RF Systems Engineer to architect and verify communication systems between satellites and ground stations. The role involves responsibilities like analyzing system performance, conducting system tests, and modeling signal processing. Applicants should have a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and 5+ years of experience with RF systems and test equipment. Competitive compensation and benefits offered, including equity and development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience performing analysis in MATLAB, Python, Rust, or tools for RF systems.
• 5+ years of experience with RF test equipment such as VNA, spectrum analyzer.

Responsibilities

• Analyze system performance and derive specifications for RF/antenna systems.
• Plan and perform integrated system tests focused on performance.
• Model signal processing for modem design and beamforming.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

Rust

RF test equipment

Modem design

Link budget analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Tools

VNA

Spectrum analyzer

Job description

Location

Torrance, CA

Employment Type

Full time

Department

RF

Compensation

• $170K – $200K • Offers Equity

Compensation at Northwood Space is based on role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on job‑related skills, education, experience, and technical expertise. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long‑term incentives such as company stock options and discretionary performance bonuses. Benefits include equity, comprehensive health care, flexible vacation, retirement savings plans, and opportunities for professional development.

About Northwood Space

Northwood is on a mission to build a data highway between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Role

As an RF Systems Engineer you will be responsible for architecting and verifying communication systems between satellites and ground stations. You will influence the overall ground network and portal design based on RF performance trades, and you will collaborate with many disciplines including electrical, RF, mechanical, manufacturing, and software engineers to create the best product from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Analyze system performance, and derive top level specifications for RF/antenna systems and signal processing - assess risk to drive where additional testing or design trades need to be performed
• Plan and perform integrated system tests (either internally or with customers) focused on either physical layer performance (G/T and EIRP) or modem performance (BERT, sensitivity, EVM, spectral masks)
• Model signal processing from a high level floating point - including both software and hardware - to aid in designing modems and beamforming
• Design and model antenna system design and trades - including phased array tapering, pointing/ tracking algorithms, and beamforming architectures
• Provide technical support to regulatory and site operations in technical submissions

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of experience performing analysis in MATLAB, Python, Rust, or other tools for modeling and analyzing RF systems and DSP
• 5+ years of experience with RF test equipment such as VNA, spectrum analyzer, etc.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience working with RF components including, filters, amplifiers, antennas, etc.
• Experience with modem design, or transmitter/receiver emulation for test applications
• Experience with link budget analysis, power flux density, dilution of precision, doppler, antenna patterns, etc.
• Experience with digital communication theory and testing including bit error rate, EVM, noise figure, dynamic range, and quantization noise
• Deep understanding of beamforming theory, array factor, and electromagnetic propagation in complex environments
• Experience in RF line‑up design, including driving filter isolation and amplifier linearity specifications
• Experience with Python (or other language) for data analysis

Additional Information

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.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Compensation Range: $170K - $200K