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Relativity Space is seeking a Lead Radar Engineer to own the technical design and development of a wideband UHF shallow radar sounder instrument for a Mars orbiter mission. This role spans the full lifecycle from concept design through spacecraft integration, calibration, and commissioning with no mid-stream handoff.
You will serve as the primary technical lead and responsible engineer, personally executing significant portions of design and analysis while providing technical leadership to cross-functional teams. The radar instrument operates in two modes: a sounder mode measuring subsurface layer reflections and a radiometer mode measuring subsurface temperature over wide footprints.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning system design for radar electronics, signal processing chain, and antenna systems at the vehicle level for both sounder and radiometer modes
- Developing and validating performance, power, and mass budgets; link budgets; and SNR/penetration-depth analyses
- Leading waveform trade studies in collaboration with science partners
- Implementing waveforms and baseline algorithms developed by the science team
- Co-designing with the science team to ensure instrument meets science adequacy and mission objectives
- Leading hardware development including prototype development and validation at the brass board level ahead of flight designs
- Serving as the primary engineering counterpart to science partners
This is a hybrid role combining hands-on technical execution with leadership responsibilities. You'll work within Relativity's Interplanetary Sciences Program, which aims to make planetary research faster, more affordable, and more capable by rethinking how science missions are designed, built, and operated. The role offers autonomy, ownership, and the opportunity to shape decisions on a mission with tangible momentum and real-world impact.
