Senior RF Systems Engineer (Portal)

• Define phased-array antenna and RF-system architectures for satellite communication ground stations.
• Translate mission, coverage, link-availability, waveform, throughput, and regulatory requirements into aperture, RF front-end, beamforming, calibration, pointing, and tracking specifications.
• Develop and maintain end-to-end SATCOM link budgets incorporating measured aperture and RF-chain performance.
• Analyze analog, hybrid, and digital beamforming approaches in collaboration with RF and digital implementation teams.
• Determine how antenna and RF impairments affect communications performance, including EVM, carrier acquisition, BER/BLER, throughput, spectral compliance, and link availability.
• Analyze RF lineups and performance budgets for gain, noise figure, dynamic range, linearity, compression, intermodulation, phase noise, frequency stability, filtering, and isolation.
• Build Python, MATLAB, or similar models combining array behavior, measured RF performance, propagation, and modem-level metrics.
• Lead cross-functional investigations of degraded G/T, EIRP, link margin, EVM, acquisition, tracking, BER, throughput, or spectral performance.
• Support regulatory submissions, spectrum coordination, partner interface reviews, system acceptance, and operational deployment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience with phased arrays, antenna systems, RF communication systems, or SATCOM terminals.
• Experience with communication-link analysis, including EIRP, G/T, C/N0 , Eb /N0 , link margin, atmospheric loss, and interference.
• Understanding of digital communications sufficient to relate RF performance to modulation-dependent EVM, acquisition, BER, throughput, and spectral performance.
• Experience defining or evaluating RF lineups, including noise figure, gain, linearity, dynamic range, phase noise, filtering, and isolation.
• Hands-on experience with RF measurements and integrated system debugging using equipment such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise sources, and vector signal analyzers.

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

• Familiarity with SATCOM waveforms and standards such as DVB-S2/S2X, CCSDS, or equivalent modem architectures.
• Experience analyzing modulation-dependent EVM, BER/BLER, adjacent-channel leakage, spectral regrowth, amplifier backoff, and link degradation.
• Experience with SDR-integrated RF systems or collaboration with FPGA, DSP, modem, and embedded-software teams.
• Experience with HFSS, CST, or comparable full-wave electromagnetic tools.
• Familiarity with radar, sensing, 5G NR, 802.11ad/ay, MIMO, multi-beam systems, or electronic-warfare systems where the experience transfers to array and RF-system architecture.

RF/Antenna Engineer/Level 3: $140,000 - $175,000 per year

RF/Antenna Engineer/Level 4: $152,000 - $190,000 per year

RF/Antenna Engineer/Level 5: $180,800 - $226,000 per year

Additional Information

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.

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array and parabolic ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions.

If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.