Senior RF Engineer

SpaceX

Confirmed live 2 days ago Low trust

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
Hawthorne, CA
Salary
$165,000–$230,000 / yr
Posted
140 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live 2 days ago

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $183k
This role $198k
$141k most similar roles pay here $240k

This role pays more than 67% of similar roles. Most pay $151,117–$215,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $198k versus about $183k 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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View all roles at SpaceX

At a glance

TL;DR · Senior RF Engineer

Sr. RF Engineer (Starshield) joins the Starshield team to develop advanced RF capabilities for proliferated communications and remote sensing in low earth orbit. This role involves driving program-level decisions on RF system designs, researching novel solutions for large-scale satellite systems, and collaborating with hardware, FPGA, DSP, and software engineers to design and validate systems. Responsibilities include full lifecycle support of RF hardware, creating electromagnetic simulation models for antennas and filters, and modifying electrical schematics for flight applications. The ideal candidate possesses a degree in computer or electrical engineering and experience with tools like HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, and Python. Proficiency with VNA and spectrum analyzers is required to support the development of systems addressing national security needs through earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads within a fast-paced, iterative environment.

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 and defect detection.
  • 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 for flight reliability and manufacturability.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering.
  • 5+ years of experience in RF engineering.
  • Experience with modeling and analysis tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, MATLAB, C/C++, and/or Python.
  • Experience using RF test equipment like VNA and spectrum analyzers.
  • Experience creating and maintaining link budgets for communication 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 export control authorizations.

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