Senior RF Radar Engineer II – Space SAR

Rocket Lab USA; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Equity compensation

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(k) with company match

PTO and holidays

Subsidized EV charging

Job summary

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior RF Engineer II - Radar to lead the technical development of radar and RF systems for space-based applications from Long Beach, CA. This role focuses on system architecture, RF integration, and hands-on testing for SAR and spaceborne radar platforms.

The candidate will drive design trades, perform link budgets, and ensure performance against orbital parameters while collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams and program customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with space-based radar systems including system integration and mission operations.
• Strong understanding of orbital mechanics and spacecraft systems.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft subsystems including power, thermal, ADCS, and their impact on radar payload design.
• Strong radar system knowledge including waveform design, pulse compression, and Doppler processing.
• Experience with radar testing including range measurements and RF performance characterization.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical development of space-based radar systems including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development.
• Define and maintain radar performance requirements and link budget specifications accounting for orbital parameters.
• Conduct radar payload design trades including antenna selection, waveform optimization, and processing architectures for space platforms.
• Drive key technical decisions for radar modes, timing, PRF selection, and RF chain design considering orbit dynamics.
• Complete radar analyses including range/Doppler resolution, SNR, ambiguity analysis, and orbital effects on performance.
• Develop and execute radar calibration strategies and image quality validation methods for spaceborne systems.
• Support the development of radar test plans, procedures, and automated test systems.
• Lead the design and development of radar GSE including calibration sources and test fixtures.

Skills

Radar systems knowledge

Orbital mechanics

RF engineering

System integration

Hands-on testing

MATLAB/STK

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or aerospace engineering

Tools

MATLAB

STK

Orbit analysis software

Job description

Rocket Lab USA is seeking a Senior RF Engineer II - Radar to lead the technical development of radar and RF systems for space-based applications from Long Beach, CA. This role focuses on system architecture, RF integration, and hands-on testing for SAR and spaceborne radar platforms.

The candidate will drive design trades, perform link budgets, and ensure performance against orbital parameters while collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams and program customers.