Sr. RF Front-End Engineer — Phased Array Antenna & RF Front-End Electronics

E-Spac

Saratoga (CA)

On-site

USD 160,000 - 195,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Health and wellness care options

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

E-Space in Santa Clara, CA seeks a Senior RF Front-End Engineer to own RF hardware for spacecraft phased-array antennas and satellite comms. You will translate system requirements into device-level designs, perform prototype bring-up, and verify performance through measurements and simulations.

You will lead calibration methods for phased-array RF channels, collaborate with RF, antenna, digital, and mechanical teams, and ensure robust hardware for harsh space environments while mentoring

Qualifications

Hands-on ownership of RF front-end hardware from design to verification.
Strong RF fundamentals: S-parameters, impedance matching, noise figure, stability.
Experience with phased arrays, beamforming, radar, satellite or multi-channel RF systems.
Proficient with RF circuit simulations and with schematic capture/PCB review tools.
Laboratory experience with RF test equipment and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

Design and review RF front-end hardware from requirements through release.
Create and evaluate transmit/receive chains using PA, LNA, filters, matching networks, and synthesizers.
Perform RF cascade analyses: gain, NF, IP3, linearity, EIRP, link margin.
Define specs and select parts considering space environment constraints.
Develop RF/mixed-signal boards and RF signal distribution architectures.
Coordinate with cross-functional teams and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

RF fundamentals

Ownership of RF front-end hardware

Experience with phased arrays/beams

Communication of technical issues

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Keysight ADS

Cadence AWR

Schematic capture / PCB layout tools

Job description

Ready to make connectivity from space universally accessible, secure and actionable? Then you’ve come to the right place!

E-Space is bridging Earth and space to enable hyper-scaled deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services. We are building a highly-advanced low Earth orbit (LEO) space system that will fundamentally change the design, economics, manufacturing and service deliveryassociated with traditional satellite and terrestrial IoT systems.

We’re intentional, we’re unapologetically curious and we’re 100% committed to innovate space-based communications and deliver actionable intelligence that will expand global economies, protect space and our planet and enhance our overall quality of life.

E-Space is seeking a Senior RF Front-End Engineer to design, develop, integrate, and verify flight RF front-end electronics for spacecraft phased-array antennas and satellite communication systems. This hands-on role provides end-to-end ownership—from translating system requirements into device-level RF/microwave circuit designs through schematic capture, board layout, prototype bring-up, testing, and simulation-to-measurement correlation. The engineer will develop robust RF hardware for operation in the space environment while collaborating closely with our principal RF engineer and the broader antenna electronics team.

What you will do:

Own RF front-end hardware from requirements and architecture through device-level circuit design, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototype bring-up, qualification, and release.
Design transmit and receive chains using power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, filters, duplexers, switches, couplers, attenuators, mixers, synthesizers, transceivers, phase shifters, beamformer devices, and RF matching networks.
Perform RF cascade analyses and architectural trade studies covering gain, noise figure, sensitivity, linearity, P1dB, IP3, dynamic range, EIRP, efficiency, stability, spurious performance, and link margin, including simultaneous transmit-and-receive architectures using frequency-division duplexing.
Define component specifications and select parts based on RF performance, power consumption, thermal behavior, size, manufacturability, availability, cost, reliability, and suitability for the space environment.
Design and review controlled-impedance transmission lines, grounding, shielding, bias networks, RF PCB stackups, and critical component placement and routing.
Develop RF and mixed-signal boards incorporating ADCs, DACs, modulation, and demodulation where digitized RF interfaces are required.
Contribute to RF signal-distribution architectures that transport RF signals over fiber-optic links using analog RF-photonic or digitized approaches.
Integrate RF electronics with phased-array antenna elements, beamforming networks, digital and baseband electronics, firmware, power systems, thermal systems, and mechanical structures.
Develop and execute amplitude and phase calibration methods for phased-array RF channels, accounting for channel variation, temperature effects, mutual coupling, and calibration stability.
Plan and conduct RF characterization using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, noise-figure equipment, oscilloscopes, and near-field or far-field antenna ranges.
Support environmental qualification of spaceflight hardware, including thermal-vacuum, vibration, and radiation testing.
Correlate simulation results with measurements, identify the root causes of performance discrepancies, and drive corrective actions through data-driven troubleshooting.
Document requirements, analyses, design decisions, test procedures, results, and technical risks, and present clear recommendations at design reviews.
Collaborate with antenna, RF systems, digital, firmware, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, test, regulatory, and program teams to close requirements and interfaces.
Mentor engineers and technicians and help establish repeatable RF design, calibration, qualification, and verification practices.

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or a related field, with 8+ years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree with 6+ years; or a Ph.D. with 4+ years.
Demonstrated hands‑on ownership of RF front‑end hardware from design and analysis through prototype fabrication, bring‑up, and verification.
Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, including S-parameters, impedance matching, transmission lines, noise figure, gain compression, intermodulation, stability, isolation, filtering, and RF power measurement.
Experience designing or integrating RF electronics for phased arrays, beamforming systems, radar, wireless communications, satellite communications, or a comparably complex multi‑channel RF system.
Experience with RF circuit simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, or equivalent, and with schematic capture and PCB layout review tools.
Hands‑on experience operating RF laboratory equipment and independently troubleshooting complex RF hardware.
Ability to communicate technical issues clearly, work across disciplines, and make data‑driven decisions under schedule constraints.

Preferred qualifications:

Experience with active phased arrays, element-level or subarray RF chains, beamformer ICs, and amplitude/phase calibration.
Experience with electromagnetic and system tools such as Ansys HFSS, CST Studio Suite, Altair FEKO, MATLAB, Python, or Keysight SystemVue.
Experience with UHF or other satellite communication bands, circular polarization, link budgets, antenna gain/EIRP, scan loss, sidelobes, grating lobes, and mutual coupling.
Experience designing RF hardware for space, aerospace, defense, automotive, or another high‑reliability environment.
Knowledge of environmental qualification, EMC/EMI, radiation effects, vibration, thermal‑vacuum considerations, and design for test and manufacturing.
Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and cross‑site engineering teams.
Experience with RF‑photonic signal distribution.
Experience with mixed‑signal RF interfaces (ADC/DAC, modulators/demodulators, SDR).
Familiarity with frequency‑division duplex or other full‑duplex RF front‑end architectures.
Python for RF test automation and data analysis.

Additional Requirements

This is a fast‑paced, high‑impact environment - flexibility to occasionally work extended hours or weekends during critical periods is expected.

$160,000 - $195,000 a year

This is a full time, exempt position, based out of our Santa Clara, CA facility. The target base pay for this position is $160,000 - $195,000 annually. The total compensation packaged will be determined by various factors such as your relevant job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

We are redefining how satellites are designed, manufactured and used—so we’re looking for candidates with passion, deep knowledge and direct experience on LEO satellite component development, design and in‑orbit activities. If that’s your experience – then we’ll be immediately wow‑ed.

E‑Space is not currently able to provide employment sponsorship for candidates who do not hold work authorization for the location of this role.

Why E‑Space is right for you:

We want you to make the most of your journey at E‑Space. That’s why we support and invest in the physical, emotional and financial well‑being of our team members and their families.

As a member of our team, you will play a crucial role in driving our success. Our team members have a strong sense of dedication and responsibility; this includes a strong commitment to our mission to create an entirely new suite of global capabilities to improve lives, business efficiencies and build a smarter planet. This means that there will be times when extra hours, including nights and weekends, may be needed to meet critical deadlines and mission goals. In return, we offer a dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development and the chance to make a meaningful impact in a high‑growth industry.