Senior RF Engineer – Radar Seeker

Approach Venture LLC; El Segundo (CA); Presencial; USD 140 000 - 180 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

Approach Venture LLC in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior RF Engineer to own the radar seeker end-to-end for a next-generation interceptor. You will define the seeker architecture, perform make-vs-buy decisions, and lead RF test infrastructure.

The role collaborates with GNC, avionics, mechanics, and founders to move from bench to flight testing, with opportunities to hire and lead a dedicated seeker team.

Qualificações

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, physics, aerospace, or related field.
• 6+ years radar system design, integration, or testing with subsystem ownership.
• Strong knowledge of radar physics, electromagnetics, noise figure, and phase noise.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python for real-time or embedded systems.
• Experience with FMCW, pulsed Doppler, or AESA tech and RF test equipment.
• US Person status and ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsabilidades

• Define seeker architecture and lead make-vs-buy decisions on radar sensors and processing hardware.
• Own transmit/receive chain analysis, including link budgets, noise figure, and phase noise.
• Integrate antennas with the airframe and radome.
• Specify high-speed interfaces between seeker and avionics (ADCs, DACs, PCIe).
• Select and manage RF component suppliers and subsystems.
• Build low-latency detection and tracking pipelines (Doppler processing, CFAR).
• Develop clutter rejection and electronic countermeasure resilience.
• Oversee processing on flight processor (FPGA, GPU, embedded CPU).
• Own seeker-to-guidance interface and fuse radar tracks with IMU/GPS for terminal guidance.
• Design RF test rigs and run hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Conhecimentos

C++

Python

DSP

Radar physics

Embedded systems

RF testing

Formação académica

Bachelor’s degree (EE/Physics/Aerospace)

Master’s degree preferred

Ferramentas

Spectrum analyzers

VNAs

Oscilloscopes

FPGA

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Senior RF Engineer – Own the radar seeker that guides a next-generation interceptor to its target

El Segundo, California | On-site

Opportunity Summary

This role owns the radar seeker end to end, from the RF front end through signal processing to the target tracks that feed guidance. The seeker is what tells the interceptor precisely where to strike, and you will be its technical owner.

You will make the core architecture and make‑vs‑buy calls, build out RF test infrastructure, and work hand in hand with the founders and with GNC, avionics, and mechanical engineers to move the seeker from bench to live intercept. As the program expands, you will help hire and lead a dedicated seeker team.

About Us

We are a seed-stage, venture-backed defense technology company building affordable, modular interceptors for air and missile defense, with surface-launched and space-based platforms in development. The team has already demonstrated autonomous intercepts and is moving quickly from prototype hardware into flight testing from our South Bay facility. We are a small group of engineers and operators who design, build, and test in-house, with a clear path toward scaled production for government customers.

Job Duties

• Define the seeker architecture and lead make‑vs‑buy decisions on radar sensors, front‑end components, and processing hardware


• Own transmit and receive chain analysis, including link budgets, noise figure, and phase noise


• Integrate antennas with the airframe and radome


• Specify high‑speed data interfaces between the seeker and avionics, such as ADCs, DACs, and PCIe


• Select and manage RF component and subsystem suppliers


• Build low‑latency detection and tracking pipelines, including Doppler processing, range‑Doppler mapping, and CFAR


• Develop clutter rejection and electronic countermeasure resilience


• Implement and optimize processing on the flight processor (FPGA, GPU, or embedded CPU)


• Own the seeker‑to‑guidance interface and work with GNC to fuse radar tracks with IMU, GPS, and onboard state estimates for terminal guidance


• Design RF test rigs and run hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing with anechoic chambers, scene generators, RCS references, and flight dynamics models


• Lead seeker testing from lab bench through environmental qualification and flight

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, or a related field (master’s preferred)


• 6+ years designing, integrating, or testing radar systems, including ownership of a major subsystem through hardware test


• Deep knowledge of radar physics and electromagnetics, including noise figure, phase noise, and link budgets


• Strong DSP background with real‑time radar detection and tracking implementation


• Proficiency in C++ and Python with real‑time or embedded systems experience


• Hands‑on lab testing of FMCW, pulsed Doppler, or AESA architectures using spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and oscilloscopes


• Experience sourcing RF components and making make‑vs‑buy decisions


• U.S. Person status required (ITAR) and ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Experience

• Missile seeker, air‑to‑air, counter‑ballistic tracking, or EW resilience experience


• FPGA signal processing (VHDL or Verilog) or GPU acceleration for radar


• Antenna arrays, beamforming, radome integration, or atmospheric attenuation modelling


• RCS modeling and synthetic target generation


• High‑G, vibration, and thermal environmental testing such as MIL‑STD‑810


• Prior early‑stage startup experience

Why Join Us

• Own the most critical sensor on the vehicle, from architecture to live intercept


• Clear path to build and lead a seeker team


• Make the architecture and make‑vs‑buy decisions yourself


• Work directly with the founders and every engineering discipline


• Early equity in a seed‑stage company with a rapidly growing team


• Mission with direct national security impact

Compensation Details

$140,000 – $180,000 + equity