Senior RF/Electrical Engineer

Elveo; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Elveo in Chantilly, VA, seeks a Senior RF/Electrical Engineer to own the nanosatellite payload design lifecycle—from RF analyses to hardware/software integration. You’ll work across bench-testing, antenna selection, and in-orbit considerations to evolve our future constellation network.

The role demands hands-on hardware and software skills, familiarity with SDRs, FPGAs, and Linux-based systems, plus strong collaboration with Systems Engineering on architecture and performance targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in RF/Electrical Engineering required.
• 7+ years of experience in design, integration, or test of space hardware.
• Hands-on experience with SDRs, antennas, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, SoCs, SBCs, microcontrollers.
• Programming in C++, C, Python, MATLAB or similar.
• Proficiency with Linux-based systems.
• Familiarity with VHDL or Verilog and Altera/Xilinx FPGAs.
• Proficiency with electrical design tools such as Altium.
• Strong knowledge of RF air interfaces and access schemes.
• Experience integrating hardware and software systems.
• Proficient with MS Office (Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Word).

Responsibilities

• Support design of spacecraft payload hardware and software.
• 8+ years of RF/EE experience.
• Support nanosatellite antenna design.
• Develop link budgets, simulations, traffic analysis, and RF system design.
• Support payload integration and delivery to launch partners.
• Design payload testing configurations on ground and in orbit.
• Interface with Systems Engineering for constellation architecture.
• Bench-level mechatronics work and prototyping.
• Some software-based Systems Engineering analysis.
• Maintain technical documentation.
• Work independently and in a team.

Skills

RF/EE engineering experience

Software-defined radios

FPGAs/GPUs/CPUs/SoCs

Single-board computers

Programming in C++, C, Python, MATLAB

Linux

Verilog/VHDL

Altium

RF air interfaces knowledge (TDMA/FDMA

Hardware-software integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in RF or Electrical Engineering

7+ years of space hardware experience

Tools

Verilog/VHDL

Altera/Xilinx FPGAs

Altium

Job description

About Elveo

Elveo is what happens when two pioneers in direct-to-device (D2D) communications join forces. Elveo brings together a combined 20 years of expertise to close the coverage gap for more than 50 mobile network operators (MNOs) and major distribution partners operating in 60+ countries worldwide.

That heritage and our technology powers what we call ‘elevated intelligence’ — a new approach that processes and adapts on orbit, delivering voice and data services straight to mobile users, IoT devices and machines across enterprise, government and humanitarian sectors worldwide.

As a team, we’re on a mission to deliver powerful compute and connectivity directly to individuals and objects everywhere on Earth.

Join us, and become part of a globally inclusive company that is transforming satellite communications from a niche service to an essential global infrastructure, and democratizing connectivity for billions worldwide.

Ready to take the next step? Join us.

Job Summary

As a Senior RF/Electrical Engineer at Elveo, you will be responsible for wearing many hats in the world of radio frequencies, electronics, hardware, and software. You will be responsible for the analysis, design, implementation, optimization and enhancement of our nanosatellite communications payload, and, ultimately, the future constellation network. Some work products will include link budgets analyses, system dimensioning for coverage and capacity including traffic analysis and simulation, initial system design and dimensioning, coverage planning, frequency planning, interference analysis and mitigation techniques. This engineer will also be responsible for supporting the iterative design and test of our nanosatellite payload hardware/electronics and software. This will include working with software defined radios, single-board computers, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, and filters – you will also be involved in our payload antenna selection and design. While playing with all this hardware on a bench, you’ll probably need to pick up a soldering gun, use a spectrum analyzer, assemble circuits on a breadboard, and/or configure an RF channel simulator.

If you enjoy the challenge of wearing many hats and have a track record of creative thinking to solve unconventional problems, then we look forward to meeting you!

Core Responsibilities

Because Elveo is a small company, the RF/Electrical Engineer will be responsible for straddling engineering work in the domains of RF, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering.

• Support design of spacecraft payload hardware, including single-board computers, SDRs, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, filters, amplifiers, etc., and software design and development.

• 8+ years of RF/EE experience.

• Support selection and design of nanosatellite antenna technologies

• Develop link budget analyses, simulations, traffic/capacity analysis, RF system design and dimensioning, coverage and frequency planning, etc.

• Support spacecraft payload integration, testing, delivery to launch and spacecraft bus partners/vendors.

• Designing and planning payload testing configurations on the ground when testing payload communications performance both in-lab and in-orbit.

• Interface with Systems Engineering team to inform constellation/network architecture and design based on RF communications payload performance.

• Bench level mechatronics work including testing, integration, assembly, programming and prototyping of electronics hardware and software.

• Some software-based Systems Engineering analysis.

• Supporting developing and maintaining technical documentation for payload design and development.

• Must be able to work independently and in a team environment.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree or better in RF or Electrical Engineering.

• 7+ years of experience working on projects doing design, integration, or test of space hardware.

• Experience working on projects developing space payload hardware and software, preferably communications systems.

• Hands-on experience with software-defined radios, antennas, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, SoCs, single-board computers, microcontrollers is highly desired.

• Programming Proficiency in one or more programming languages is highly desired, such as, C++, C, Python, MATLAB, etc.

• Should have experience working with Linux based systems.

• Familiarity with VHDL or Verilog and Altera or Xilinx FPGAs is desired.

• Proficiency with electrical design software, such as Altium is a plus.

• Strong knowledge and understanding of RF air interfaces and their use of multiple access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, CDMA, etc. is highly desired.

• Hands-on experience with integrating hardware and software systems is desired.

• Must be good with computers. Fluent in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX, very capable with Microsoft Office... Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Word.

• Hands-on experience with programming microcontrollers and SDRs is desired.

• Knowledge of some communications/networking protocols, for instance, IP, TCP/IP, SNMP, SDH/SONET, Ethernet, Carrier Grade Ethernet, DSL, SS7, ISDN, Q2931, B-ISDN, X.25, 802.11, 802.16, SIP, TDMA, FDMA, CDMA, LTE, EDGE, GPRS, HSPA, GSM, etc.

ITAR Requirements

To comply with U.S. Government export control regulations (ITAR), applicants must be one of the following: (i) a U.S. citizen or national, (ii) a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158. Individuals who do not meet these criteria must be eligible to obtain the necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please refer to the ITAR guidelines.

Learn about ITAR here.

Job Location

Chantilly, VA