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Salary: USD 169,067 - 216,031 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates its W-Series vehicles in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, C-PICA heat shields, and satellite buses. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
As a Senior RF Components Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless connectivity between Varda's satellite vehicles and ground stations. You will own the complete lifecycle of RF components, collaborating closely with RF Systems Engineers to define specifications and select or design necessary hardware. Your work will be crucial in rigorously validating components before deployment to space.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as the Responsible Engineer for RF flight components, including radios, power amplifiers, antennas, and filters
- Collaborate with RF Systems Engineers to refine product specifications, select or design components, and oversee the entire product lifecycle
- Work with Flight Software, Structures, and Integration & Test teams to document cross-functional interface requirements
- Own product acceptance and qualification testing for space environments, including Thermal, Vibration, Shock, TVAC, and EMI
- Develop test software to automate equipment, stimulate, and measure component performance
- Conduct root cause analysis on test failures and implement comprehensive mitigation strategies
- Mentor junior engineers on projects, challenges, and design methodologies
Varda emphasizes extreme ownership and rigorous testing: "We stress our components above and beyond the levels it should expect to see in flight and we investigate our failures thoroughly."
Requirements:
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or related field
- 5+ years of hands-on experience with RF test equipment (VNAs, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, function generators, power meters, power supplies)
- Familiarity with RF components (LNAs, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, oscillators/synthesizers, attenuators, switches)
- Experience designing and integrating RF components into complete transmit or receive signal chains
- Proven track record of extreme ownership over projects
- Proficiency with Python; familiarity with test software libraries like PyVISA
- Demonstrated curiosity and commitment to exploring foundational concepts
- Prior experience standing up HITL testbeds, managing configuration control, and driving system-level tests
- Familiarity with Unix environments
- Experience developing test cases and test equipment to meet vehicle operating conditions
- Experience operating environmental test equipment (vibration shakers, TVAC chambers, thermal chambers)
- Strong project or program management skills
- Ability to thrive in dynamic environments valuing teamwork, innovation, and tackling challenges head-on
Note: ITAR requirements apply. Only U.S. persons (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals admitted as refugees/granted asylum) are eligible due to access to export-controlled items.
