Principal RF Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live 2 days ago Low trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $210,000–$300,000 / yr
Posted: 114 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live 2 days ago
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $187k

This role $255k

$125k most similar roles pay here $319k

This role pays more than 91% of similar roles. Most pay $158,825–$215,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $255k versus about $187k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.

SpaceX currently has 680 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $130,000–$165,000 across 442 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Principal RF Engineer

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As a Principal RF Engineer (Starshield), you will join a collaborative team of hardware, software, and DSP engineers to develop advanced RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low earth orbit. You will drive program-level decisions on system designs, research novel solutions for large-scale satellite systems, and manage the full lifecycle of RF hardware including board testing and resolving on-orbit anomalies. Your daily work involves creating electromagnetic simulation models for antennas and filters while modifying electrical schematics and mechanical drawings for flight applications. The role requires expertise in HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, or Python, alongside experience with VNA and spectrum analyzers. You will address complex technical challenges in the domain of national security, specifically focusing on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads within a fast-paced development environment.

Skills

RF Engineering HFSS CST ADS MATLAB Python C++ VNA Spectrum Analyzer GNU Radio Antenna Theory PCB Layout Electromagnetic Simulation Software-Defined Radio SIGINT ELINT Radar Wireless Communications

What you'll do

Drive program-level decisions regarding RF system designs.
Research novel solutions for large-scale satellite RF systems.
Design and validate RF systems in coordination with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software teams.
Provide full life cycle support for RF hardware including board testing, defect detection, and functional testing.
Resolve on-orbit vehicle anomalies to ensure mission success.
Create electromagnetic simulation models for antennas, filters, and PCB layouts to evaluate performance.
Modify electrical schematics and mechanical drawings to improve reliability and manufacturability for flight applications.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering.
8+ years of experience in RF engineering.
Proficiency with modeling and analysis tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python.
Experience operating RF test equipment including VNAs and spectrum analyzers.
Experience creating and maintaining link budgets for communications or remote sensing systems.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret SCI clearance.
Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for required export control authorizations.

Senior RF Software Engineer

SpaceX

Hawthorne, CA 101 days ago $165,000–$230,000

Python C++ VNA VSG VSA Spectrum Analyzers FPGA DSP Electromagnetic Simulation Linux Windows Integration Testing Configuration Management Version Control S-parameters

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