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Salary: USD 170,000 - 250,000 / annual
K2 Space is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, backed by over $1 billion in total funding and $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers. The company is mass-producing advanced satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space, with multiple launches planned for 2027 and scaling to 100 satellites per year.
You will join as a hands-on RF/mmWave Post-Silicon Validation Engineer, bringing up and characterizing highly integrated RF and mmWave SoCs from first silicon through product integration. You will work closely with RFIC designers, systems/DSP, mixed-signal, firmware, hardware, and validation teams to characterize RF performance, validate calibration algorithms, debug complex silicon issues, and build RF test and validation capability from the ground up.
Key responsibilities include:
- Bring up and characterize RF/mmWave silicon, including TX/RX signal chains, LNAs, PAs, mixers, LO generation, PLLs, and RF front ends
- Develop and execute RF characterization plans across frequency, power, voltage, temperature, process, and operating modes
- Measure key RF performance including gain, noise figure, output power, compression, linearity, EVM, ACLR, phase noise, spurious performance, harmonics, sensitivity, and dynamic range
- Develop automated RF/mmWave test setups for characterization, regression, data collection, analysis, and reporting
- Work closely with RFIC designers to correlate silicon measurements with simulations and identify performance gaps and root causes
- Partner with systems/DSP teams to validate RF calibration and signal-processing algorithms on silicon
- Debug complex issues spanning silicon, package, PCB, firmware, calibration, test setup, and system behavior
- Support transition from chip-level RF characterization to product integration and system-level validation
- Contribute to building the RF/mmWave validation lab, measurement infrastructure, test methodology, and automation from the ground up
- Document characterization results, silicon limitations, workarounds, and lessons learned for future silicon generations
Requirements:
- BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or related field
- 5+ years of RF/mmWave silicon validation, characterization, RFIC test, or related experience
- Strong understanding of RF transceiver architectures and RF/mmWave circuits, including LNAs, PAs, mixers, PLLs, and frequency-generation systems
- Deep hands-on experience with RF/mmWave test equipment including vector network analyzers, spectrum/signal analyzers, vector signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters, noise-figure analyzers, and phase-noise measurement equipment
- Strong understanding of RF measurement techniques, calibration, de-embedding, noise, linearity, modulation quality, and spectral analysis
- Experience developing automated characterization environments using Python or similar scripting languages and instrument-control interfaces
- Strong debugging skills and ability to isolate problems across silicon, package, PCB, firmware, and measurement environments
- Experience working closely with RFIC designers and systems engineers to correlate measurements with circuit simulations and system models
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment and build RF test capability from the ground up
Preferred qualifications include Ka-band or higher-frequency mmWave silicon characterization experience, wideband RF transceiver experience, digitally assisted RF circuits and calibration algorithm validation, modulated waveform measurements (EVM, ACLR), RF probing and mmWave fixtures, high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces, automated PVT characterization, and SI/PI/RF packaging/antenna/high-frequency PCB experience.
Note: This role requires U.S. Person status or eligibility for a federally issued export control license due to ITAR compliance.
