Senior Payload / RF Payload Systems Engineering Lead

Job Description

We are seeking a Senior Payload / RF Payload Systems Engineering Lead to support the definition, development, integration, and verification of advanced payloads for complex space systems.

This position will focus heavily on RF payload performance, requirements, specifications, interfaces, and system-level integration. The engineer will translate mission needs into payload and RF requirements while ensuring that payload hardware and associated RF components meet overall system performance objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering activities for spacecraft payload and RF payload systems
• Develop and manage payload system requirements and specifications
• Translate mission-level needs into payload, subsystem, and RF unit requirements

Perform and/or review RF system performance analyses, including: G/T EIRP Gain/loss Phase noise RF link and performance characteristics

• Develop RF unit specifications
• Support payload architecture and interface definition
• Establish and maintain payload interface requirements
• Support requirements decomposition, allocation, traceability, and verification
• Develop verification plans for RF and payload requirements
• Coordinate across payload, RF, spacecraft bus, ground, software, hardware, and systems engineering teams
• Support payload Integration & Test activities
• Support RF testing and performance verification
• Resolve technical issues involving payload/system interactions and RF performance
• Support space-to-ground interface development and verification
• Support Concept of Operations and mission-level engineering activities
• Participate in major program reviews through CDR and into system I&T
• Provide technical leadership to cross-functional payload teams

Skills and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline
• Systems engineering experience supporting RF, communications, radar, payload, or related complex systems
• Experience with RF payload systems engineering

Understanding of RF engineering concepts including: G/T EIRP Gain and loss Phase noise

• Experience developing technical or RF unit specifications
• Experience developing and decomposing system requirements
• Requirements verification experience
• Experience with subsystem and system interfaces
• Ability to work across RF, hardware, software, systems, and test organizations
• Active TS/SCI clearance required to start
• Satellite or spacecraft payload experience
• Space-based RF communications or sensing payload experience
• RF link analysis experience
• Payload Integration & Test experience
• Space-to-ground interface experience
• RF hardware integration experience
• MBSE experience
• Experience supporting highly autonomous space systems
• Space hardware experience
• Systems engineering leadership experience

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected].