Senior Antenna Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live 3 days ago Trusted

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Hawthorne, CA
Salary: $160,000–$225,000 / yr
Posted: 134 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live 3 days ago
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $170k

This role $192k

$126k most similar roles pay here $236k

This role pays more than 72% of similar roles. Most pay $142,500–$197,500 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $192k versus about $170k 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 · Senior Antenna Engineer

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Sr. Antenna Engineer (Starship) joins the team responsible for RF engineering for Starship vehicles, encompassing hardware product development and communication system architecture. The role involves designing antennas for communications and sensors across VHF through Ka-band frequencies, building and characterizing prototypes, and developing measurement systems to support design. Key responsibilities include analyzing wireless systems like antenna isolation and propagation effects while collaborating with mechanical and production teams to improve manufacturing and testability. Candidates will utilize tools such as Altium or Orcad for schematic capture, AWR, ADS, or Genesys for circuit simulation, and HFSS, CST, or Savant for electromagnetics simulations. Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or C/C++ is required for data analysis. The work addresses critical communication and sensing challenges for orbital vehicles and lunar missions involving complex environments like plasma attenuation and shielding.

Skills

RF Engineering Antenna Design HFSS CST AWR ADS Genesys Python MATLAB C++ Altium Orcad FPGA VHF UHF Ka-band Spectrum Analyzer Network Analyzer Signal Generator CAD

What you'll do

Design antennas for communications and sensors across the VHF through Ka-band frequencies.
Build and characterize antenna, feed, and front-end prototypes for hardware development.
Develop specialized measurement systems to support engineering design and testing.
Analyze wireless systems including antenna isolation, large structure patterns, and propagation effects.
Provide expertise on RF radiation issues such as plasma attenuation and shielding.
Manage the full product lifecycle from initial design concept through prototyping and production.
Perform analysis or provide on-console support for flight missions.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
5+ years of professional experience in antenna design, build, test, and electromagnetic simulations.
Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering with research on RF or antennas.
Proficiency in RF concepts including impedance matching, microwave network analysis, and filter design.
Experience using RF measurement tools like spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and network analyzers.
Proficiency with simulation software such as HFSS, CST, AWR, or ADS.
Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, or C/C++ for data analysis and test equipment interfacing.
Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible for export control authorizations.

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