Impulse Space

RF Systems Engineer

Posted 5 Days Ago

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Redondo Beach, CA, USA

In-Office

115K-140K Annually

Junior

Aerospace • Software

The Role

Owns top-level RF system architecture for radio communications, ranging, and positioning systems. Defines future RF program roadmaps, link budgets, interfaces, and mission-specific hardware documentation. Leads system-level trade studies and coordinates development across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, business development, and regulatory teams. Develops requirements and architectures for radios, GNSS receivers, antennas, and related systems, while supporting RF compliance, licensing, testing, and high-reliability aerospace applications.

Summary Generated by Built In

As an RF Systems Engineer, your core responsibility will be to own top-level RF system architecture for all radio communications, ranging, and positioning systems at Impulse. You will define the roadmap for future radio programs, drive cross-team alignment, and maintain documentation of link budgets and mission-specific hardware. You will work with RF engineers, Avionics engineers, mechanical engineers, and others to meet communication system needs across a wide range of capabilities and missions. You’ll work with uplink and downlink radios up to 32GHz, GNSS receivers, ranging radios, desense, coexistence, and antennas.

Responsibilities

Coordinate RF system development to ensure alignment across mechanical, thermal, electrical RF, software, manufacturing, and supply chain
Lead system-level trades involving transmitters, receivers, antennas, RF mechanical, power, thermal, reliability, and manufacturing
Provide updates to engineering leadership on progress, risks, trade studies, and development timelines
Own the technical roadmap, including technical progress and timelines, for Impulse’s future RF systems
Work with business development to translate customer and mission needs into RF system requirements, architectures, and interfaces
Maintain organization of RF system components, interfaces, and link budgets across Impulse’s portfolio of customers and missions
Interface with avionics engineers to define digital and power interfaces for RF devices
Work with regulatory team to develop compliant RF systems and license Impulse’s designs

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related technical field
2+ years professional experience with direct ownership of RF communication components or systems
Experience in development of RF link budgets including antenna patterns, atmospheric modeling, link availability, and RF transmitter and receiver characteristics
Demonstrated ability in system architecture design for a high-reliability application
Proficiency in common RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers and VNAs
Familiarity with EM concepts of RF transmitters, RF receivers, antennas, and transmission lines
Experience designing for and proving compliance with spectral emissions masks or similar regulatory requirements

Preferred Skills and Experience

Familiarity with RF modeling tools such as HFSS, ADS, CST, or STK
2+ years of experience writing automation scripts for RF hardware test
Proven experience working in aerospace communication links
Experience working with high-performance GNSS receivers and GNSS simulators
Experience with common RF protocols like SRS4, DVB-S2, and CCSDS
Prior architectural design of L-Band, S-Band, X-Band, or Ka-Band hardware
Familiarity with space environmental effects such as radiation, surface charging, plasma, multipaction, etc
Familiarity with satellite spectrum licensing laws, agencies, and standards
RF hardware debugging skills

Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.

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

About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.

Skills Required

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
2+ years of professional experience owning RF communication components or systems
Experience developing RF link budgets, including antenna patterns, atmospheric modeling, link availability, and transmitter and receiver characteristics
Experience designing system architectures for high-reliability applications
Proficiency with RF laboratory equipment such as spectrum analyzers and VNAs
Familiarity with RF transmitters, receivers, antennas, transmission lines, and electromagnetic concepts
Experience designing for and proving compliance with spectral emissions masks or similar regulatory requirements
Familiarity with RF modeling tools such as HFSS, ADS, CST, or STK
2+ years of experience writing automation scripts for RF hardware testing
Experience developing aerospace communication links
Experience with high-performance GNSS receivers and GNSS simulators
Experience with SRS4, DVB-S2, and CCSDS RF protocols
Architectural design experience with L-Band, S-Band, X-Band, or Ka-Band hardware
Familiarity with space environmental effects, including radiation, surface charging, plasma, and multipaction
Familiarity with satellite spectrum licensing laws, agencies, and standards
RF hardware debugging skills