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Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior RF Design Engineer II to support the development of new RF products, including the Frontier-Lite Radio, for space systems applications. This role is based onsite at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA.
You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of RF product development, from requirements definition through production. Key responsibilities include designing and simulating RF products, selecting components, managing PCB layout and fabrication, and supporting prototype development. You'll work closely with test engineers and manufacturing teams to drive new product introduction, develop test plans and procedures, and create comprehensive product documentation including interface control documents and user manuals.
On the customer and program support side, you'll review proposals and requirements specifications to assess compliance with existing capabilities, scope development activities for new requirements, and provide technical support to internal and external customers. You'll participate in engineering reviews (PDRs, CDRs, TRRs) and maintain awareness of product development and production schedules.
Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience. You must have fundamental RF knowledge including cascaded device analysis, link budget analysis, and HFSS simulation. Demonstrated experience developing and delivering RF products from requirements through space-worthy production is essential. Strong theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems is required. U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements, and you must be able to obtain a TS/SCI security clearance.
Desirable qualifications include extensive experience in space-grade board design, circuit analyses (worst case, reliability, FMECA, thermal, derating), and leading complex engineering programs. Experience designing, integrating, and testing RF communications systems for launch vehicles or satellites is highly valued. People management experience and demonstrated ability to lead incident management and investigations are preferred. Strong communication skills and ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines are important.
