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Salary: USD 170,000 - 202,000 / annual
Cowboy Space Corporation is building space-based solar energy infrastructure to solve the global energy crisis. The company designs modular, scalable satellites that collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit and transmit energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), power on-orbit high-performance computing clusters, and provide secure optical data transport. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), the company has raised ~$365 million from top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis, and NASA.
You will be a hands-on RF engineer owning the selection, development, integration, and radio systems for launch vehicles and spacecraft. This is an individual contributor role with technical ownership across suppliers and cross-functional teams (electrical, mechanical, software, integration, test). You will translate mission requirements into reliable communications systems from ground station to vehicle.
Key responsibilities include:
- Define RF requirements and maintain link budgets for telemetry and command links, including antenna performance, losses, interference, and ground-station compatibility
- Evaluate radios, antennas, and RF components across UHF through Ka-band; assess performance, interfaces, qualification evidence, and integration risks
- Own radio and RF hardware bring-up, configuration, characterization, and integration with flight software and vehicle avionics
- Develop and execute acceptance and qualification plans for RF hardware, including functional, vibration, shock, thermal, thermal-vacuum, and EMI/EMC testing
- Coordinate test facilities and equipment; lead test readiness and maintain verification records
- Develop RF test benches, fixtures, cabling, calibration methods, and automation with the test team
- Lead RF anomaly investigations across hardware, software, test equipment, and ground interfaces; verify corrective actions and support flight operations
- Prepare technical inputs for FCC licensing and coordinate compatibility testing with ground-station providers
- Resolve RF interference and coexistence issues with payload and vehicle teams
- Partner with navigation sensor owner on GNSS antenna and RF interfaces while maintaining clear ownership of communications system
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical, computer, or aerospace engineering, physics, or related field
- 8+ years of experience developing or integrating RF communications systems for space applications, including hands-on hardware verification and environmental qualification
- Experience translating communications requirements into radio and antenna selections, link budgets, and hardware or system-level verification plans
- Proficiency with RF laboratory equipment: vector network analyzers, spectrum or signal analyzers, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes
- Working knowledge of digital communications, modulation, RF measurement methods, and EMI/EMC mitigation through grounding, shielding, filtering, and cable routing
- Ability to use Python or MATLAB for test support and data analysis; document results clearly; resolve integration issues with suppliers and cross-disciplinary engineers
Preferred experience:
- Taking supplier-provided flight radios through vehicle integration, ground-station testing, and on-orbit operations
- CCSDS protocols, software-defined radio interfaces, or modulation and coding schemes used in satellite communications
- Automating RF instruments using SCPI, VISA, or comparable interfaces; working in Linux environments
- Applying space-hardware qualification and acceptance standards (GEVS, MIL-STD-1540, SMC-S-016, ECSS) and planning EMI/EMC verification
- RF analysis tools such as HFSS, FEKO, ADS, or AWR; preparing technical material for spectrum licensing and coordination
Note: ITAR compliance required. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
