Staff Radar Systems Engineer

InvestedintheMission; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 184,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote/hybrid opportunities

Meaningful missions

Unlimited PTO

Salary & equity

Health coverage

Space tech leadership

Job summary

LeoLabs is seeking a Staff Radar Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration, testing, and deployment of advanced radar capabilities. You will drive system requirements, evaluate performance, and coordinate across hardware, software, RF, and operations teams.

The role calls for deep radar systems expertise, sensor performance understanding, and the ability to translate mission needs into scalable solutions for space domain awareness and national security.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of radar systems engineering or related defense/aerospace experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with radar architecture, integration, testing, and performance analysis.
• Strong radar, RF, and signal processing knowledge; sensor performance clarity.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead radar systems engineering across the lifecycle from requirements to support.
• Develop and maintain radar system software, performance models, and docs.
• Evaluate radar performance against mission objectives and optimize capabilities.
• Support design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and customer engagements.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, RF, and ops teams for integration.
• Conduct trade studies and assessments to inform program decisions.
• Create test plans and support laboratory, field, and operational tests.
• Analyze system anomalies and drive root-cause investigations.

Skills

Radar systems engineering

RF systems

Signal processing

System requirements

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering

Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field

Job description

Why LeoLabs?

At LeoLabs, we're building the living map of activity in space. Through our proprietary global radar network and AI-enabled analytics platform, we collect millions of measurements daily on more than 25,000 objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). Our radar-powered intelligence protects billions in assets, monitors adversarial behavior, and ensures safe operations for commercial and government missions.

We're not just building technology, we are redefining global security, safety, and transparency in space. As orbital activity accelerates and threats grow more complex, LeoLabs is a trusted partner for Space Domain Awareness, Space Traffic Management, and Satellite Operations for top-tier space operators and allied defense organizations.

If you're looking to work on mission-critical challenges at the forefront of aerospace, national security, and AI, your impact starts here.

LeoLabs is seeking a highly motivated Staff Radar Systems Engineer to support the design, integration, testing, and operational deployment of advanced radar capabilities. This role will serve as a technical leader responsible for defining system requirements, evaluating radar performance, supporting mission execution, and driving cross-functional engineering efforts across hardware, software, signal processing, and operations teams.

The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in radar systems engineering, a strong understanding of sensor performance and system integration, and the ability to translate mission requirements into scalable technical solutions supporting national security and space domain awareness missions.

Responsibilities

• Lead radar systems engineering activities across the system lifecycle, including requirements development, architecture definition, integration, verification, validation, and operational support.


• Develop and maintain radar system software, performance models, analyses, and technical documentation.


• Evaluate radar performance against mission objectives and identify opportunities for optimization and capability enhancement.


• Support system design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and customer engagements.


• Collaborate with software, hardware, RF, signal processing, and operations teams to ensure successful integration and deployment of radar capabilities.


• Perform trade studies and technical assessments to support engineering and program decisions.


• Develop test plans and support laboratory, field, and operational testing activities.


• Analyze system anomalies and lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.


• Support government customers by providing technical expertise, briefings, and engineering recommendations.


• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the continued development of systems engineering best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.


• 10+ years of experience in radar systems engineering, sensor systems engineering, or related defense and aerospace environments.


• Demonstrated experience with radar system architecture, integration, testing, and performance analysis.


• Strong understanding of radar principles, RF systems, signal processing, and sensor performance characterization.


• Experience developing system requirements, interface documentation, and verification methodologies.


• Experience with various electronic protection techniques


• Strong analytical, communication, and technical leadership skills.


• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.


• Experience implementing algorithms like adaptive beamforming


• Experience with phased-array radar systems.


• Experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, or Space Force programs.


• Experience with tracking methods, for orbital and non-orbital objects


• Knowledge of space domain awareness, missile warning, tracking, or related mission areas.


• Active U.S. security clearance.

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $204,000 + bonus + stock options + benefits

Compensation Note: The salary range for this position is benchmarked based on the designated primary work location for the role. Final compensation may vary depending on the selected candidate's work location, applicable market data, experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

Perks and Benefits

• Global workforce: flexible remote/hybrid opportunities


• Work on complex, meaningful missions with real-world impact


• Unlimited paid time off for most roles


• Competitive salary and equity packages


• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage


• Access to the forefront of commercial space operations and defense innovation

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. More information regarding ITAR can be found at DDTC’s website.

Vendor Notification

LeoLabs does not engage external staffing agencies or third-party recruiting firms for this role. Unsolicited candidate submissions will not be considered.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.