Rf Development Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

As a Lead Hardware Development Engineer, you will lead the development of Northwood’s antenna systems from early architecture through design, integration, manufacturing, and deployment. You will own the execution of multidisciplinary antenna products that combine mechanical structures, RF hardware, electronics, embedded systems, thermal management, manufacturing, and test.

This role is for a deeply technical engineer who can operate as both a senior individual contributor and a cross-functional product lead. You will apply strong expertise in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, RF hardware, embedded systems, or a related discipline while developing the system-level understanding needed to drive the complete antenna product.

You will translate product and mission objectives into clear requirements, technical plans, schedules, interfaces, and verification strategies. You will organize teams around the most important engineering problems, identify risks and dependencies early, and drive products through design reviews, prototype builds, testing, production, and field deployment.

• Own the technical development and execution of a Northwood antenna system or major subsystem from concept through production and deployment.
• Translate product, customer, and mission needs into system requirements, architectures, interfaces, performance budgets, and verification plans.
• Coordinate development across mechanical, electrical, RF, antenna, embedded software, thermal, manufacturing, test, supply chain, and field operations.
• Build and manage development schedules, technical milestones, critical-path dependencies, and risk-mitigation plans.
• Lead system-level trade studies across antenna performance, structural design, power, thermal behavior, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and deployment speed.
• Drive prototype builds, system integration, test campaigns, root‑cause investigations, and production‑readiness reviews.
• Contribute directly to design, analysis, prototyping, testing, and troubleshooting within your primary engineering discipline.
• Provide clear updates to engineering leadership on progress, risks, decisions, and resource needs.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, RF Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience developing complex hardware, antenna systems, RF products, aerospace systems, or similarly multidisciplinary technology.
• Deep individual-contributor expertise in at least one relevant engineering discipline, such as mechanical design, electrical hardware, RF hardware, antenna engineering, embedded systems, or systems integration.
• Demonstrated experience owning a complex hardware product or subsystem through design, prototyping, integration, testing, and delivery.
• Strong systems-thinking ability and experience managing technical interfaces and tradeoffs across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Experience turning ambiguous product objectives into requirements, development plans, schedules, and test strategies.
• Hands‑on experience building, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting physical hardware systems.
• Strong organization, communication, and cross‑functional leadership skills.

• Experience developing phased‑array antennas, ground station antennas, satellite communications systems, radar systems, or other complex RF hardware.
• Experience with antenna structures, RF enclosures, electronics packaging, thermal management, environmental sealing, cable routing, or electromechanical integration.
• Familiarity with antenna elements, amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, beamforming electronics, calibration systems, and RF distribution networks.
• Experience taking a hardware product from early architecture through qualification, production, installation, and field operation.
• Experience with environmental testing, design for manufacturing, supplier management, and production‑readiness processes.
• Track record of resolving complex integration issues across mechanical, electrical, RF, embedded, and software boundaries.

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space 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.