Software Defined Radio Hardware Intern (Summer 2027)

RiseMe; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is seeking a Hardware Design Intern for the Software Defined Radio Team (Summer 2027) in Northern California. You will design, test, and bring up SDR hardware, simulate and write code to evaluate performance, and integrate systems with the spacecraft team.

The role targets students pursuing Electrical Engineering or equivalent; hands-on PCB design and lab testing are expected; prior SDR experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to design, build, and test PCBA hardware from scratch.
• Solid EE foundation in analog, digital, mixed-signal, or RF design.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, implement, and test SDR hardware.
• Bring up and debug hardware in the lab with top instruments.
• Write code to evaluate performance and automate testing.
• Integrate systems into the spacecraft with the team.

Skills

Hardware development

Electrical Engineering

PCB design

Laboratory debugging

RF design

Lab teamwork

Education

Electrical Engineering degree (pursuing)

Tools

Altium Designer

ADS

MATLAB

ANSYS

Python

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Hardware Design Intern, Software Defined Radio Team (Summer 2027)

Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks, and are hourly roles designed for students who are currently enrolled at a four‑year university.

As an Intern, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems — we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, no matter their seniority. Many past interns have designed and tested hardware/software that is now flying on our first satellite, and many of them are now full‑time employees at Astranis.

Role

• Design, simulate, implement, and test our internally developed software defined radio hardware
• Bringup and debug hardware in the lab with top of the line instruments and equipment
• Write code to help evaluate performance and automate testing of satellite hardware
• Integrate these systems into the spacecraft by working closely with the rest of the team

Requirements

• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast‑paced environment and hands‑on design and development
• Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test PCBA hardware from scratch (student design team projects, design competitions, personal projects)
• Solid EE foundation in one or more of the following areas:
  • analog design (op amps, transistors, RLC filters)
  • digital design (FPGAs, SOCs, SERDES, DDR, LVDS)
  • mixed signal design (ADCs, DACs, power integrity)
  • RF design (Lineups, s-parameters, impedance matching)

Bonus

• Experience building or using software defined radios
• Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software)
• Experience with analysis software (ADS, ANSYS, Matlab)
• Experience with Python or similar programming languagesExperience with soldering and rework
• Experience with EE lab bench equipment (power supply, oscilloscope, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers, etc)

The base pay for this position is $29.00 per hour.

Base Hourly Pay

$29 — $29 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.