Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer – Phased Arrays

Northwood; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 104,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood is seeking a Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer to define phased-array RF architectures for our satellite ground-station network in Torrance. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking specs to achieve end-to-end communications performance.

The role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field (degree required).
• 2+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF or SATCOM terminals.
• Experience with RF measurements and integrated system debugging using VNA, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise sources, and VSA.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Phased arrays

Antenna systems

RF communications

SATCOM terminals

RF measurements

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering/related

Tools

Vector network analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

Noise sources

Vector signal analyzers

Job description

Northwood is seeking a Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer to define phased-array RF architectures for our satellite ground-station network in Torrance. You will translate mission and link requirements into antenna, beamforming, RF front-end, calibration, and tracking specs to achieve end-to-end communications performance.

The role sits at the intersection of phased arrays, RF systems, SATCOM links, and physical-layer communications.