Senior RF Electrical Engineer (Amplifiers)

Northwood; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company delivering real-time communications for satellite missions. As a Senior Electrical Engineer (RF), you will own Ka-band high power amplifier design for Prism, Northwood's 2.4-meter parabolic antenna for high-throughput links.

You will take amplifiers from architecture through prototype, characterization, and production, collaborating with mechanical, thermal, and test engineers to ensure reliability and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of RF hardware design experience.
• Experience designing power amplifiers at microwave/mmWave frequencies.
• Proficiency with RF/EM simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, HFSS, or CST.
• Hands-on with RF test equipment including network analyzers and spectrum analyzers.

Responsibilities

• Design Ka-band high power amplifiers for Prism from architecture to bring-up.
• Develop power combining approaches to scale output power while protecting efficiency and reliability.
• Build electromagnetic and circuit simulation models to design and evaluate performance before hardware.
• Design supporting circuitry including bias, sequencing, power conditioning, protection, and monitoring.
• Own thermal and packaging considerations for high-dissipation RF hardware with mechanical/thermal teams.
• Characterize amplifier performance and troubleshoot the transmit chain.
• Drive designs through reliability testing and production readiness.
• Support integration and field troubleshooting of deployed Prism units.

Skills

RF hardware design

Microwave design

Power amplifier design

RF simulation tools

Lab measurement

Thermal packaging

Test equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Keysight ADS

Cadence AWR

HFSS

CST

Job description

About Northwood:

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

About Northwood:

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role:

As a Senior Electrical Engineer (RF), you will own Ka-band high power amplifier design for Prism, Northwood's 2.4-meter parabolic antenna for high-throughput satellite links. You will take amplifiers from architecture through prototype, characterization, and production, working closely with antenna, mechanical, thermal, and test engineers. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who has designed, built, and debugged high power RF hardware at microwave or millimeter-wave frequencies.

Responsibilities:

• Design Ka-band high power amplifiers for Prism, from line-up and architecture through schematic, layout, and hardware bring-up
• Develop power combining approaches that scale output power while protecting efficiency, linearity, and reliability
• Build electromagnetic and circuit simulation models (amplifier stages, matching networks, combiners, transitions) to design and evaluate performance before hardware
• Design supporting circuitry, including bias and sequencing, power conditioning, protection, monitoring, and digital control interfaces
• Own thermal and packaging considerations for high-dissipation RF hardware in partnership with mechanical and thermal engineers
• Characterize amplifier performance (output power, compression, PAE, linearity, spurious, stability) and troubleshoot integrated transmit chain performance
• Drive designs through reliability testing and into production, including test definition and manufacturing support
• Support integration and field troubleshooting of deployed Prism units

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of RF hardware design experience
• Hands-on experience designing and building power amplifiers at microwave or millimeter-wave frequencies (Ku-band or higher)
• Experience taking RF hardware from design through bring-up, characterization, and debug in the lab
• Proficiency with RF and EM simulation tools (such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, Ansys HFSS, or CST)
• Comfort with RF test equipment, including network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and power meters

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on RF or microwave design
• Ka-band solid state power amplifier (SSPA) or block upconverter (BUC) design for satellite communications
• GaN MMIC-based amplifier design, including device selection, matching, stability analysis, and bias networks
• Power combiner design, including waveguide, spatial, or planar approaches
• Waveguide component and transition design, including waveguide-to-microstrip transitions, rotary joints, and feeds
• Thermal management and packaging for high power RF electronics
• Linearity and modulated signal performance (IMD, ACPR, EVM, spectral regrowth), including linearization techniques
• Satcom transmit compliance, including emission masks and regulatory limits
• Design for manufacturing, production test development, and reliability qualification

Compensation:

RF Hardware/Level 3: $140,000-$175,000

RF Hardware/Level 4: $152,000-$190,000

RF Hardware/Level 5: $180,000-$226,000

Additional Information:

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

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.