Senior RF Phased-Array Engineer - Lead Space Antenna Systems

Rocketlab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top-tier medical plans

Dental & vision coverage

3 weeks paid vacation

5 days sick leave

11 paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan

EV charging stations

Onsite gym

Meals and snacks

Disability and life insurance

Parental leave

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior RF Phased Array Engineer I to lead the development of new RF products and phased arrays. You will model and simulate antenna performance and work with RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, and structural teams to bring concepts to flight-ready hardware.

You will drive proposals, assess requirements, and support production transitions, while ensuring interfaces with customers and vendors are effective.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications, with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong RF fundamentals including link budget analysis and linearity.
• Solid understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components.
• Experience modeling and simulating antenna/ phased array performance.
• Deep understanding of interference effects on RF systems.
• Experience delivering RF systems from requirements through prototyping to space-worthy products.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end product development including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development; ensure decisions align with product/system needs.
• Model and simulate array performance.
• Lead interdisciplinary team of RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, and structural engineers.
• Transition developments from new product introduction to production.
• Interface with vendors and customers.
• Develop test plans and procedures for testing active antennas – including EIRP & G/T.
• Design and development of GSE and production automation.
• Support the development of product documentation including ICDs and User Manuals.

Skills

Fundamental RF knowledge

RF communications theory

Antenna/Phased array modeling

Interference analysis

RF system development & prototyping

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications (or an equivalent qualification)

Job description

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior RF Phased Array Engineer I to lead the development of new RF products and phased arrays. You will model and simulate antenna performance and work with RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, and structural teams to bring concepts to flight-ready hardware.

You will drive proposals, assess requirements, and support production transitions, while ensuring interfaces with customers and vendors are effective.