Senior RF Design Engineer I - Pipeline Verified today
About the role
Rocket Lab seeks a Senior RF Design Engineer I to support development of new RF products, including the radio product line and Frontier-Lite Radio. You will design and simulate RF products, bring strong RF engineering and circuit design skills, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
What you will do
Product Development
- Define and maintain requirements specifications
- Support the development process, ensuring design decisions align with product capabilities
- Design and prototype RF products including component selection and PCB layout, fabrication and packaging
- Support development of test plans and procedures
- Support design and development of ground support equipment and production automation
- Support development of product documentation including ICDs and User Manuals
- Liaise with Test Engineers and Manufacturing Engineers to drive New Product Introduction
Customer and Program Support
- Review proposals and requirements specifications to assess compliance against existing capabilities vs development needs
- Scope and drive development activities for new requirements
- Support engineering reviews such as PDRs, CDRs and TRRs
- Provide technical support to internal and external customers including general questions and anomaly troubleshooting
- Maintain awareness of product development and production schedules to satisfy customer and program needs
Required qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, RF communications or related engineering discipline
- 5 or more years of relevant RF design experience
- Fundamental RF knowledge including cascaded device analysis, link budget analysis and HFSS
- Experience developing and delivering RF products including requirements assessment, prototyping engineering models and producing spaceworthy products
- Solid theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components
- U.S. Citizenship required due to program requirements
- Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance
Desirable qualifications
- Extensive experience in space grade board design including parts selection and performance simulation
- Extensive experience in circuit analyses including worst case, reliability, FMECA, thermal and derating analyses
- Extensive experience supporting and leading complex engineering programs and developing associated documentation
- Experience designing, integrating and testing RF communications systems for launch vehicles or satellites
- Demonstrated expertise in people management
- Experience leading incident management and investigations
- Experience in conflict resolution
- Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- Effective communication skills and ability to build strong working relationships
- Project management experience
Compensation and benefits
Base salary range (CA only): $130,000 to $170,000 USD. Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on job-related knowledge and skills, education and experience.
Benefits include company equity, medical HMO and PPO options with 100% company-sponsored medical HSA plan option, dental and vision coverage, 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 days sick leave per year, 11 paid holidays per year, flexible spending and dependent care savings accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with company match, discounted employee stock purchase program, subsidized EV charging, onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts.
Working conditions
This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust and fumes in production areas.
Location
Onsite at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA.