Staff Radar Systems Engineer

LeoLabs; United States; Hybrid; USD 173,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global remote/hybrid opportunities

Challenging, meaningful missions

Unlimited paid time off

Competitive salary and equity

Comprehensive health, dental, and/ or

Job summary

LeoLabs is hiring a Staff Radar Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration, testing, and deployment of advanced radar capabilities. You will guide system requirements, evaluate performance, and coordinate across hardware, software, RF, and operations teams on mission-critical space-domain projects.

The role requires deep radar engineering expertise, strong leadership, and the ability to translate mission needs into scalable solutions.

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Lead radar systems engineering across the system lifecycle: requirements, architecture, integration, verification, validation, and support.
• Develop and maintain radar system software, performance models, analyses, and documentation.
• Evaluate radar performance against mission objectives and identify optimization opportunities.
• Support design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and customer engagements.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, RF, signal processing, and operations teams for successful deployment.
• Perform trade studies and technical assessments to support decisions.
• Develop test plans and support lab, field, and operational testing.
• Analyze system anomalies and lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Support government customers with technical briefings and recommendations.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices in systems engineering.

Skills

Radar systems engineering

RF systems

Signal processing

System requirements

Technical leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication

Mentoring

Security clearance eligible

Education

Bachelor's degree (EE/SE/Physics/Aerospace)

Tools

MATLAB

Simulink

Job description

SpaceNexus estimate: matched to Systems Engineer, using BLS OEWS May 2025 wages for SOC 17-2011 Aerospace Engineers: the middle half of national pay (25th to 75th percentile), adjusted for metro where BLS has an area figure. Guidance, not an offer.

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.

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.