Principal RF Software Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live yesterday Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $210,000–$340,000 / yr
Posted: 36 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $187k

This role $275k

$133k most similar roles pay here $362k

This role pays more than 98% of similar roles. Most pay $160,000–$214,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $275k 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 Software Engineer

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As a Principal RF Software Engineer (Starshield), you will join the Starshield team to develop advanced programs supporting national security efforts through earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads. You will collaborate with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software engineers to design and build RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low earth orbit. Your daily responsibilities include driving program-level decisions on RF system designs, researching solutions for large-scale satellite systems, and creating electromagnetic simulation models. You will design, build, and automate modular test infrastructure using Python and C++ to characterize custom designs with equipment like VNAs, VSGs, and spectrum analyzers. The role requires expertise in C/C++, Python, and radio test equipment, alongside experience with antennas, communication systems, and core RF concepts such as gain, linearity, and S-parameters to solve complex orbital communication challenges.

Skills

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

What you'll do

Drive program-level decisions regarding RF system designs.
Research novel solutions for large-scale satellite RF systems.
Design, build, and validate RF test benches using equipment like VNAs and signal generators.
Develop modular, scalable RF test infrastructure and automation sequences in Python and C++.
Create electromagnetic simulation models of hardware to evaluate performance.
Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to design and validate complex RF systems.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or another engineering discipline.
8+ years of professional development experience in C/C++ or Python.
Experience with radio test equipment including spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, and network analyzers.
RF experience with antennas or communication systems.
Ability to obtain and maintain an active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance.
Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for export control authorizations.
Preferred: Master's degree in electrical engineering or another engineering discipline.
Preferred: Experience with common RF concepts such as gain, linearity, S-parameters, and EVM.

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