RF Avionics Engineer

The Role

You will be responsible for the successful design, test, and operation of radiofrequency (RF) electronics across some of the biggest, most powerful, rapidly designed and rapidly manufactured satellites ever deployed in space. In your first 6 months you will develop, design, own, test, and integrate new RF and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), including radios, antennas, and other hardware. You will work with a team of fellow RF, integration & test, software, mechanical, and electrical engineers in order to prototype your RF components and execute environmental and performance testing to refine your designs. In your first two years you will have qualified your hardware for flight and have flown your RF components in space. Following this, you will begin designing even more capable RF products for future generations of larger and even more powerful spacecraft.

Responsibilities

• Serve as responsible engineer for flight hardware from conception through flight, including: requirements definition, make vs buy, system architecture, & vendor trade studies, prototype, production, qualification, & post-integration testing.

• Oversee all technical and programmatic aspects of one or more of the RF components and subsystems that fly on the satellite, including but not limited to telemetry, command, and GNSS radios, antennas, and link budgets from UHF through Ka-band

• Qualify or work with vendors to qualify your designs through environmental testing including RF & antenna functional, vibration, radiation, thermal, and thermal vacuum testing

• Work with internal (mechanical, electrical, and software engineers) and external (vendors) stakeholders to integrate your designs into the spacecraft systems and operate your hardware in flight

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field or equivalent combination of education and industry experience

• 1+ years of experience in microwave / RF engineering

• Familiarity with fundamental RF knowledge such as antenna patterns, polarization, Friis transmission equation, link budgets, amplifier gain, noise figure, GPS, etc.

• Familiarity with Python or MATLAB

• Ability to work in a fast-paced and high velocity start-up atmosphere

Nice to Have

• Experience with RF test equipment such as vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzer, etc.

• Experience with environmental testing for space electronics such as thermal, vibration, TVAC, radiation, and EMI/EMC testing per standards such as SMC-S-016

• Experience with flying hardware in space

• Experience with RF modeling and analysis software tools such as Ansys Electronics Desktop HFSS, Altair FEKO, Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR Microwave Office

• Familiar with software defined radio development including data converters (digital to analog and analog to digital converters), clock trees, data converter interfaces, and sampling concepts

• Familiarity with digital communications systems & theory, including spread spectrum, forward error correction, and modulation types such as BPSK, QAM, etc.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 + equity in the company

• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

• Comprehensive benefits package including unlimited paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged! If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

ITAR Requirements

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. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Equal Opportunity

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 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.