Senior RF Mission Architect — Space Systems (Equity)

Rocketlab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program (15%\u

401(k) retirement plan with company 2

Stock options

Medical plans

Dental and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

11 paid holidays

Flexible spending accounts

Paid parental leave

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior RF Mission Architect to own the evolution of core payload products for defense and commercial customers. You’ll balance link budgets, antenna architectures, and waveform processing constraints while shaping winning technical concepts.

This role requires 8+ years in aerospace RF design, a bachelor’s in electrical or aerospace engineering, and the ability to secure a TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other technical discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace or defense RF systems.
• Demonstrated track record architecting complex multi-function RF, SAR/radar, or digital communication payloads from concept to proposal win.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance

Responsibilities

• Architect Clean-Sheet Payloads: Run early mission trades, define payload topologies, analog vs digital conversion boundary, waveform processing constraints, or integration of cryptographic requirement for optimal mission profiles.
• Drive Technical Capture: Work directly with customers and our leadership team to frame complex RF trade-offs, write the core technical architecture narratives for key proposals, and defend your design choices.
• Shape the Hardware Roadmap: Use insights from customer mission needs to directly influence our internal R&D, payload prototyping, and technology investments.
• Bridge Concept to Flight: Partner with payload hardware, software, and spacecraft teams to make sure the architectures you pitch are buildable and transition cleanly into flight development.

Skills

RF systems design

SAR / radar

Digital payloads

TS/SCI clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical or aerospace engineering

Advanced degree in RF/microwave or radar

Tools

STK

MATLAB

Python

HFSS

CST

Job description

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior RF Mission Architect to own the evolution of core payload products for defense and commercial customers. You’ll balance link budgets, antenna architectures, and waveform processing constraints while shaping winning technical concepts.

This role requires 8+ years in aerospace RF design, a bachelor’s in electrical or aerospace engineering, and the ability to secure a TS/SCI clearance.