RF Design Engineer I

Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space.
 
Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain. We see space not as a destination, but as a platform — one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach.
 
Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds.
 
Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications. Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based defense and logistics.

What You'll Do:

As an RF Design Engineer, you will be responsible for the design, development, integration, and verification of flight and ground RF/Telemetry hardware for Inversion’s next-generation re-entry vehicles. You will sit within the Avionics team and own the end-to-end lifecycle of communication hardware - taking systems from concept development, circuit and component selection, and RF architecture definition through antenna integration, lab validation, and mission-readiness testing.

You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics. Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they create, including design, analysis, testing, and integration. You will help develop critical hardware and systems for cutting-edge maneuverable reentry vehicles - advancing one of the most capable reentry vehicle platforms ever developed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and develop RF hardware and communication subsystems for flight and ground telemetry applications, including transmit and receive signal chains, front-end architectures, and supporting circuitry.
• Develop and maintain high-fidelity communication link budgets, modeling vehicle-level antenna radiation patterns and simulating RF performance in challenging flight and atmospheric environments.
• Perform trade studies to evaluate and select commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) RF components, including transmitters, transceivers, Power Amplifiers (PAs), Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), filters, switches, and antennas.
• Support schematic development, board-level design, and integration of RF hardware with broader avionics systems, ensuring performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Lead benchtop and vehicle-level RF testing using standard laboratory equipment, bridging hardware with software by supporting live end-to-end telemetry validation.
• Assist in establishing and testing ground station networks utilizing S-band and L-band frequencies to ensure robust link margins at critical elevation angles.
• Partner with software, guidance and control (GNC), power, and mechanical teams to ensure optimal antenna placement, signal integrity, thermal dissipation, and structural integrity under environmental stress.
• Assist in gathering technical data and generating documentation required for regulatory licensing with bodies such as the FCC, ITU, and NTIA.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
• 1–3 years of professional experience (or intensive academic project experience) in RF design, testing, analysis, or component engineering.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance up to Top Secret.
• Proven experience designing and analyzing RF signal chains and link budgets under dynamic flight profiles.
• Foundational experience with electromagnetic and RF simulation tools (such as Ansys HFSS, ADS, or similar) for modeling antenna characteristics, matching networks, or component behavior.
• Experience with RF circuit design fundamentals including impedance matching, filtering, gain/noise budgeting, shielding, and signal isolation.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical RF concepts effectively to multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Background in fault-tolerant and failover-capable RF systems design.
• Proven ability designing test systems and developing test plans for multidisciplinary systems.
• Strong understanding of requirements, systems design, and test methods for space, launch, and/or reentry environments including thermal, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation.
• Proficient using common laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, power meters, and data acquisition systems.
• Proven track record of delivering high-visibility designs resulting from rigorous engineering methodology.

Desired Qualifications:

• Background in high-reliability and/or safety-critical systems for spacecraft or automotive applications.
• Knowledge of radiation-hardened or rad-tolerant system design.
• Understanding of unique design requirements for long-duration orbital missions.
• Experience designing, testing, and integrating S-band and L-band telemetry or transponder systems.
• Familiarity with telemetry and range safety standards (e.g., IRIG-106) and digital modulation schemes (such as SOQPSK).
• Strong software or scripting fluency in Python or MATLAB for processing lab data, automated test scripts, or RF analysis tool development.
• Experience with PCB layout considerations for RF hardware, including controlled impedance routing, grounding, stack-up planning, and isolation techniques.
• Knowledge of aerospace environmental qualification processes, including EMI/EMC testing, anechoic chambers, vibration, and thermal vacuum (TVAC) environments.
• Familiarity with the unique RF propagation challenges associated with spacecraft re-entry.
• Prior work in startups and small independent teams.

Additionally: Level II Consideration – We are also open to considering qualified candidates for a Level II role. Level II candidates should possess the applicable qualifications listed above, including 3–5 years of professional aerospace/defense experience with direct ownership of RF hardware design, deployment, or link architecture. The Level II compensation range is $106,000 - $150,000.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $77,000 - $116,000.  Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.