Senior RF Design Engineer II - Pipeline Verified today

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more. The Electron rocket has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit. The Space Systems business designs and builds satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft selected for NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.

The Role

You will be based onsite at Rocket Lab's headquarters in Long Beach, CA, supporting development of new RF products including Rocket Lab's radio product line. You'll design and simulate RF products including the Frontier-Lite Radio, working alongside the radio development team in a fast-paced environment.

What You'll Do

Product Development

• Define and maintain requirements specifications
• Support the development process, ensuring design decisions align with required 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 GSE 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 based on existing unit 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 broad awareness of product development and production schedules to ensure customer and program needs are satisfied

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Communications, or related engineering discipline
• 8 or more years of relevant experience
• Fundamental RF knowledge including cascaded device analysis, link budget analysis, and HFSS
• Experience developing and delivering RF products including assessing requirements, prototyping engineering models, and producing space-worthy products
• Solid theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components
• U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements
• Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance

Nice to Have

• 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 and dealing with difficult people
• 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): $145,000 to $210,000 USD. Base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Benefits include top tier medical HMO, PPO and 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 insurance, life insurance, access to 401(k) with company match, discounted employee stock purchase program, subsidized EV charging stations, onsite gym, food and drinks, and other discounts. Eligibility varies based on employment status.

Working Conditions

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer work. Occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.