Senior RF Engineer (Satellites R&D) at SpaceX
Hawthorne, CA, United States
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
SENIOR RF ENGINEER (SATELLITES R&D)
The spacecraft engineering team in Hawthorne is growing to support our R&D satellite programs that are pushing the boundaries of in-space capabilities. Our missions support scientific research, classified national security space and commercial opportunities. As we grow our classified mission manifest, we are looking for senior RF engineers to join our team.
On the RF Hardware Development Team, you will have the opportunity to be responsible for flight hardware. You will demonstrate extreme ownership of this hardware through deep understanding of your hardware functionality, design, and requirements and see it through all aspects of its life cycle from inception through flight. You will also work with many other teams and think at a system level to ensure that your design is viable and will help drive us to mission success. Our development timelines are aggressive and you will be asked to rigorously explore solutions for previously unsolved problems.
We're looking for people who want to dive in and get their hands dirty and those who are not afraid to make important decisions and work to provide a data driven rationale. Every day we push the limits of what is possible through innovation, determination, and teamwork and we're only just beginning.
An active Top Secret security clearance, or ability to obtain one, is desired but not required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible for development and full life cycle support of RF/modem hardware spanning PCBA board testing and defect detection, full functional testing of an assembled unit, and resolving on-vehicle anomalies
Create electromagnetic simulation models of hardware (antennas, filters, PCB layout) to design and evaluate performance
Write and execute verification test plans, test procedures, and test reports against product requirements
Modify electrical schematics and mechanical drawings for flight applications as they relate to reliability and manufacturability
Design and troubleshoot RF (UHF, S-Band, X, Ka, or Ku bands) test setups and associated support equipment to support execution of testing strategies
Participate in development of new RF designs and drive optimization for manufacturability and cost
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or physics
5+ years of experience with electronic components, environments testing, or unit level testing (significant academic projects, internships, and traditional professional experience all qualify)
5+ years of experience with electromagnetic theory and/or RF communication systems
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
Master's degree in an engineering discipline
Creative problem solver that can bring multiple disciplines together with the ability to assess risk and make design and development decisions without all available data
Experience with RF components, wire harnesses, and electrical test equipment (spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.)
Knowledge of digital communication systems, spread spectrum, single and multi-carrier techniques and modulation types such as QPSK, APSK and QAM
Understanding of and experience in environmental testing such as vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, and TVAC
Experience designing electrical hardware from concept through production; strong emphasis on full life cycle development of new hardware products rather than small incremental updates to legacy hardware
Experience with engineering projects in any one or more of the following areas - CPU/FPGA/ASIC circuit boards, consumer electronics, wireless devices, high speed interfaces, and/or low power platforms
Experience designing and implementing mixed-signal circuit boards from concept through production using processors, FPGAs, Ethernet, multi-GHz Serdes, DRAM interfaces (DDR4), I2C, SPI, operational amplifiers, analog to digital and digital to analog converters, and power supply components
Experience with 3D CAD (Unigraphics, Solidworks or similar) and electrical schematic capture software
Strong sense of accountability and integrity with excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere
Self-motivated with strong multi-tasking, organizational, communication and documentation skills
Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance, or ability to obtain one desired but not required
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Extended hours and weekend work may be required to support critical project and mission milestones
Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions; if so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing
ITAR REQUIREMENTS:
SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.
Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX's Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.
