RF Systems Engineer

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and capital-efficient approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station to support a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and supporting a growing space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to design, build, and operate its own spacecraft in orbit. Next, Haven-1 is targeted to become the world’s first commercial space station, with launch anticipated in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced two new offerings leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo: Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line; and Vast Lunar Systems, power, communications, and habitats for the Moon.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities capable of manufacturing America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for Mars, dedicated modules for government partners, and other crewed systems designed to unlock the expanding long-term space economy.

Vast is looking for a RF Systems Engineer, reporting to the Director, RF Engineering, to execute the development of the RF Systems for spacecraft including space stations and satellites.

As an RF Systems Engineer, you will manage communication system requirements and verification for space stations and satellites. Your responsibilities will include RF system design, link budgets, satellite coverage analysis, and definition of system concepts-of-operation (CONOPs). You will be expected to own one or more RF components and to collaborate with your mechanical, thermal, test, integration, and mission assurance engineering counterparts to guide those components through testing, integration, and operation during the mission.

This will be a full-time, exempt position in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage spacecraft RF system requirements and verification plan
• Specify link parameters including modulation, error correction coding, symbol rate, and channel filter
• Calculate link budgets, considering data throughput requirements, link conditions, and ground station characteristics
• Estimate the expected data throughput and bit error rate based on your link budgets
• Maintain link budgets with consideration to on-vehicle antenna patterns, cable losses, radio specifications, and channel conditions for the expected orbit
• Support regulatory license applications by providing required analyses such as power flux density and antenna contours
• Use standard tools such as Ansys STK to estimate coverage and link variability during real mission orbit scenarios
• Document and review your work output with peers through trade studies and design reviews
• Own one or more RF products from development testing through mission operation
• Be a center of subject matter expertise over your RF components in the context of the overall RF system
• Plan the design, manufacturing, testing, integration, and delivery to the vehicle and coordinate the schedule with interfacing teams and project management
• Manage relationships with cross-functional teams including mechanical engineers, test engineers, manufacturing engineers, thermal engineers, and avionics engineers
• Manage vendors and clearly communicate requirements, deliverables, and schedule
• Define test plans and procedures for acceptance and qualification testing
• Define and document checkout tests to validate proper operation during and after integration at the vehicle level
• Support mission operations as a subject matter expert on the spacecraft RF system

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in ECE, EE, Physics, or related STEM discipline
• Familiarity with digital RF communication theory, components, and fundamentals
• Satellite Link budgets
• Satellite link figures of merit including
• G/T ratio
• Signal-to-noise figures of merit including C/No, Eb/No, etc
• Error vector magnitude (EVM)
• Noise figure
• Bit error rate
• Modulation schemes
• Interference
• IQ modulators
• Channel impairments
• EIRP
• Free space path loss (FSPL)
• Doppler shift
• Familiarity with antennas and propagation
• Antenna gain/directivity
• Antenna polarization
• Experience with RF measurements and concepts
• Spectrum analyzers
• Noise bandwidth
• Experience with RF fundamentals
• S-parameters
• Experience in programming
• Data analysis tools
• Experience with product management
• Vendor management
• Design reviews
• Requirements and verification

Preferred Skills & Experience

• MS or PhD in ECE, EE, Physics, or related stem discipline
• Work experience
• Startup experience
• Aerospace experience
• Design for space
• Testing for space environments
• EMI/EMC testing
• Environmental testing
• SMC-S-016 test requirements for launch vehicles
• RF measurements
• Spectral mask
• Spur measurements
• Experience with analysis software
• STK
• Python
• Matlab
• RF for satellite communications
• Orbital mechanics
• P1dB
• Transmission line loss
• Spectral regrowth
• Harmonic distortion
• RF passive components
• Satellite communications standards
• CCSDS
• DVB-S2
• DSP for RF communications
• Receiver synchronization
• Shannon theory
• Nyquist sampling theorem
• Forward error correction
• Antenna/propagation effects
• Multipath
• Axial ratio
• Cross-polarization

Pay Range: California

$120,540—$209,520 USD

We calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.