Senior RF & Antenna Systems Engineer - SATCOM

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

Job summary

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

You will collaborate with antenna, RF, DSP/communications, digital, mechanical, manufacturing, software, and operations teams to ensure the ground-station system achieves the required link performance, including EVM and BER

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF communication systems, or SATCOM terminals.
• Experience with link analysis: EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, link margin.
• Hands-on RF measurements with VNA, spectrum analyzers, and related test equipment.

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 communication systems

SATCOM terminals

RF measurements

Education

Bachelor’s or higher in EE/CE/Applied Physics

Tools

HFSS

CST

VNA

Spectrum Analyzer

Vector Signal Analyzer

Job description

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

You will collaborate with antenna, RF, DSP/communications, digital, mechanical, manufacturing, software, and operations teams to ensure the ground-station system achieves the required link performance, including EVM and BER