Senior Systems Engineer, SATCOM and RF Connectivity

Safran; Brea (CA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office allowance

Discretionary bonus

401(k) with company match

Paid time off & year-end shutdown

9/80 alternative schedule (every other

Job summary

Safran is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer for SATCOM and RF Connectivity to lead system-level engineering across the lifecycle of our satellite communications and IFC products. You will define and verify requirements, develop architectures, and ensure interfaces across aircraft terminals, antennas, modems, and space/ground segments.

You will mentor junior engineers, perform analyses such as RF link budgets, participate in reviews, and drive documentation control.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field.
• 6+ years in Systems Engineering for aerospace or connectivity products.
• Experience defining and verifying system requirements across lifecycles.
• Knowledge of SATCOM, RF, and IFC systems.
• Understanding IP networking and routing concepts.
• Familiarity with DO-160/DO-178C/DO-254 is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Translate needs into verifiable system requirements with traceability.
• Develop architectures, use cases, and interfaces for SATCOM/IFC.
• Perform system design and verification, incl. RF link budgets and KPIs.
• Analyze RF chains, antennas, handover, and satellite interference.
• Lead trade studies and evaluations on architecture, hardware, and waveform.
• Collaborate with customers and teams to integrate connectivity solutions.
• Participate in reviews, risk assessments, and verifications.
• Prepare system docs: requirements, designs, ICDs, diagrams.
• Support integration, testing, and deployment activities.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship.
• Evaluate new tech and continuous improvement ideas.

Skills

Systems engineering

SATCOM

RF analysis

Traceability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Aerospace/Systems Engineering

Tools

Cameo MBSE

AutoCAD

Job description

Overview

The Senior Systems Engineer, SATCOM and RF Connectivity performs system-level engineering across the lifecycle of the company's satellite communications and In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) products, with a primary technical focus on satellite communications and the end-to-end RF signal chain. Core responsibilities include requirements definition and verification, system and sub-system design and analysis, use-case development, and interface definition spanning the aircraft terminal, antenna, modem, and connecting space and ground segments. The role serves as a senior technical authority and the principal point of reference, both internally and externally, including customers, managed service providers, and service providers. The Senior Systems Engineer is also responsible for the preparation, maintenance, and configuration control of associated technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer and business needs into verifiable system, subsystem, and equipment requirements, and maintain traceability across all requirement levels
• Develop and maintain system architectures, requirements, use cases, and interfaces for SATCOM and In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) solutions across GEO, MEO, and LEO networks and Ka-band operation
• Perform system and subsystem design, analysis, and verification to ensure requirements are met, including RF link budgets and key performance parameters (EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, throughput, and capacity)
• Analyze RF chain and antenna performance, including electronically and mechanically steered antennas, beam and satellite handover, pointing/tracking, polarization/skew, and adjacent satellite interference (ASI) and regulatory mask compliance
• Lead SATCOM, RF, networking, and connectivity trade studies and technical evaluations, assessing architecture, hardware, and waveform options (e.g., DVB-S2X) against performance, weight, power, cost, and certification constraints
• Collaborate with customers, suppliers, satellite operators, service providers, and cross-functional teams to develop and integrate connectivity solutions
• Participate in technical reviews, risk assessments, and verification activities throughout the product lifecycle
• Prepare and maintain system documentation, including requirements, design descriptions, interface control documents (ICDs), and interconnect diagrams
• Support system integration, troubleshooting, and issue resolution during development, laboratory and ground testing, flight test, and deployment
• Provide technical leadership for assigned projects and work packages
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for SATCOM and RF connectivity products
• Mentor junior engineers and promote systems engineering best practices
• Evaluate emerging technologies, including multi-orbit and software-defined networking concepts, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical discipline; equivalent experience considered
• 6+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, preferably supporting aerospace, avionics, SATCOM, wireless communications, or connectivity products
• Experience developing, managing, and verifying system, subsystem, and interface requirements throughout the product lifecycle
• Working knowledge of SATCOM, RF communications, and In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) systems, including satellite link analysis, antenna systems, and modem/RF chain design
• Understanding of IP networking concepts including routing, switching, network protocols, and connectivity architectures
• Experience collaborating with customers, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering teams on complex technical programs
• Experience with requirements management, Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), and/or Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools such as Cameo is preferred
• Experience managing multi-level requirements sets and requirements traceability is preferred
• Familiarity with aircraft integration concepts, avionics systems, or aerospace certification environments (e.g., DO-160, DO-178C, DO-254, STC) is preferred
• Familiarity with multi-orbit constellations (LEO/MEO), beam/satellite handover, and ground network integration is preferred
• Experience with AutoCAD or similar drafting tools for system and installation documentation is preferred
• INCOSE certification or demonstrated application of Systems Engineering best practices is desired

Benefits

The starting pay range for this position is $97,000 to $117,000 per year; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the level of the position, skills, experience, job-related knowledge, and location.

In addition to a comprehensive package of health benefits that include company contributions, RAVE Aerospace offers a variety of additional benefits and perks to enhance your work-life balance experience, including but not limited to:

• A home allowance to elevate your home workspace
• Discretionary bonus program
• Future financial security with a 401(k) program with company match
• Paid time off covering vacations, personal time off and sick days, capped off by an exciting year-end holiday shutdown
• Embraced flexibility with our alternative work schedule (9/80) to navigate your workweeks with every other Friday off