SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 82,400 - 103,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking an RF Phased Array Engineer I to join its Space Systems team in Long Beach, CA. The Space Systems team designs and builds complete spacecraft, precision payloads, and critical subsystems including solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and phased arrays. The team has enabled over 1,700 missions ranging from interplanetary exploration to national security and defense initiatives, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force.
In this role, you will be responsible for the development of new RF products and systems, including Rocket Lab's phased arrays, and assessment of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. You will model and simulate antenna performance for current programs and proposals, working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Key responsibilities include:
Product Development:
- Support end-to-end efforts including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development
- Ensure key design decisions align with product and system needs
- Model and simulate array performance
- Work alongside an interdisciplinary team of RF, digital, power, mechanical, thermal, and structural engineers
- Support transition of developments from new product introduction to production
- Interface with vendors and customers
- Develop test plans and procedures for testing active antennas, including EIRP and G/T measurements
- Design and develop ground support equipment (GSE) and production automation
- Support development of product documentation including Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and User Manuals
Customer and Program Support:
- Support proposals and requirements specifications to assess compliance based on existing unit capabilities versus development needs
- Implement development activities for new requirements
- Support engineering reviews such as Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs), Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), and Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs)
- Provide technical support to internal and external customers, including general questions and anomaly troubleshooting
- Maintain broad awareness of product development and production schedules to ensure customer and program needs are satisfied
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications, or equivalent qualification
- Fundamental RF knowledge including link budget analysis and linearity
- Solid theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components
- Basic knowledge of antenna and array modeling
- Ability to obtain TS/SCI security clearance
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Commerce due to ITAR regulations
Nice-to-have qualifications:
- Extensive experience in space-grade system design
- Extensive experience in analyses including worst-case, reliability, FMECA, thermal, and derating analyses
- Extensive experience supporting and leading complex engineering programs and developing associated documentation
- Experience designing, integrating, and testing RF communications systems for launch vehicles or satellites
- Demonstrated expertise in mentoring others
- Experience leading incident management and investigations
- Experience in conflict resolution and dealing with difficult people
- Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- Effective communication skills and ability to build strong working relationships
- Project management experience
