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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior RF Design Engineer I to join the Space Systems team at their Long Beach headquarters. This role focuses on developing RF products, including Rocket Lab's radio product line, with emphasis on the Frontier-Lite Radio and related communications systems for spacecraft and launch vehicles.
In this position, you will own RF product development from requirements definition through production, including component selection, PCB layout, fabrication, and packaging. You'll design and simulate RF products, support test plan development, and collaborate with test and manufacturing engineers on new product introduction. You'll also maintain requirements specifications, ensure design decisions align with product capabilities, and support the development of ground support equipment and production automation.
On the customer and program support side, you'll review proposals and requirements for compliance with existing capabilities, scope development activities for new requirements, support engineering reviews (PDRs, CDRs, TRRs), and provide technical support to internal and external customers. You'll troubleshoot anomalies and maintain awareness of development and production schedules to meet customer and program needs.
You'll bring a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications, or related field, plus 5+ years of relevant RF design experience. Required expertise includes cascaded device analysis, link budget analysis, HFSS simulation, and demonstrated experience developing and delivering RF products from requirements through space-worthy production. You must have strong theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components.
U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements, and you must be able to obtain a TS/SCI security clearance. Nice-to-have qualifications include space-grade board design experience, circuit analysis expertise (worst-case, reliability, FMECA, thermal, derating), experience leading complex engineering programs, RF systems design for launch vehicles or satellites, people management skills, and incident management experience.
