Sr. Antenna Engineer (Starship)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid parental leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP seeks a Senior Antenna Engineer in Hawthorne, CA. This role involves designing antennas for communications and sensors, contributing to RF engineering for Starship vehicles. Candidates need a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in antenna design and electromagnetic simulations. The position offers a competitive salary range between $160,000 and $225,000 annually, alongside comprehensive benefits including medical coverage and paid vacation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in antenna design.
• Experience with various RF test equipment.
• Strong understanding of antenna measurement techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and build antennas for communications and sensors.
• Analyze wireless systems and propagation effects.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Antenna design/build/test

Electromagnetic simulations

RF concepts

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering

Tools

Spectrum analyzer

MATLAB

Python

CAD software

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

Senior Antenna Engineer (Starship)

This team is responsible for RF engineering for the Starship vehicles. This includes both hardware product development (of radios/antennas), as well as ownership of the comm system architecture, analysis, and verification. Hardware development involves managing the development of your product, from design concept through prototyping, qualification testing, and moving into stable production. Systems roles involve extreme ownership of a system from design concept, through integration and test, and even support analysis or on-console for flight. Work may vary in frequency band from UHF (400 MHz) through Ka-band (40 GHz). We also do work outside of communications, including GPS and radar for sensing. We support both the orbital starship vehicle (current development that can be observed in Starbase) as well as the HLS lunar missions for NASA Artemis. We own communications from the baseband (FPGA + modem) through the passband (RF + antenna), and we work closely with mechanical, production, and integration teams.

Responsibilities

• Design of antennas for communications and sensors, in VHF through Ka-band
• Build and characterization of antenna, feed, and front-end prototypes
• Development of measurement systems to support design
• Analysis of wireless systems (antenna isolation, patterns with large structures, propagation effects, etc.)
• Multidisciplinary collaboration to improve RF manufacturing, mechanical integration, and testability
• Provide antenna expertise and RF radiation expertise (plasma attenuation, shielding, etc.) to various aspects of the spacecraft

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
• 5+ years of relevant professional or project experience in antenna design/build/test and electromagnetic simulations

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering with research/thesis work on RF or antennas
• Experience with test equipment such as spectrum analyzer, signal generator, network analyzer, power meters, and RF passive components
• Proficiency with basic RF concepts such as impedance matching, linear and aperture antennas, smith chart, power handling metrics (IIP2, IMD), microwave network analysis, RF filter design
• Experience with near-field or far-field chamber design and operation
• Familiar with antenna measurement techniques and tools such as anechoic/reverb chambers, near field EM measurements
• Experience with electrical schematic capture software (Altium, Orcad or similar)
• Familiar with RF circuit simulation tools for cascade analysis: AWR, ADS, Genesys
• Experience with electromagnetics simulation tools such as HFSS, CST, Savant, or similar – including tradeoffs of FEM, MoM, FDTD, and PO methods
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, or C/C++ programming for data analysis or test equipment interfacing
• Basic CAD skills for prototype designs and working directly with mechanical engineers
• Experience with variety of antenna types – including reflectors or phased array design
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, and ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range: Antenna Engineer/Senior: $160,000.00 - $225,000.00 per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of company stock or long‑term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s affirmative action plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].