Senior Antenna & RF Hardware Engineer

We are seeking a Senior Antenna & RF Hardware Engineer to lead the design of the phased-array antennas and RF receive chains deployed on Hubble's satellite payloads. Detecting a transmission from an unmodified Bluetooth Low Energy design from the earth to the low Earth orbit imposes an exceptionally demanding link budget, and the performance margin available to the system is determined primarily by the antenna aperture and front-end design. This position is responsible for that scope: the phased-array architecture, the payload antenna subsystem (PAS) panels that implement it, and the RF receive chains that support them.

This is a hands-on senior individual contributor position with end-to-end ownership of the phased array antenna and receiver on the satellites. The successful candidate will define array architecture, perform electromagnetic simulation and analysis directly, own schematic design and PCB layout implementation in Altium Designer through release to fabrication, execute antenna and RF characterization campaigns, and be accountable for the performance budgets that govern the design. You will be involved in all aspects of the hardware product from definition, development, implementation, testing and production. You will work with cross-functional groups on hardware-software integration and test, verify, and document the flight payload. 

This is a HYBRID, FULL-TIME position based in Seattle, WA.

 

AN IDEAL CANDIDATE MEETS OUR VALUES: 

A Sense of Urgency:  Lead projects from concept to reality, rapidly and effectively

First Principles Engineering:  Have a strong understanding of the whys behind the "whats"; have the ability to extrapolate from first principles to complex system design

High Learning Agility:  Love to learn; have a grounded approach to recognizing your weaknesses and take the initiative to brush up on and sharpen your engineering foundations to better collaborate with your teammates with different backgrounds 

System-Level Design and Analysis:  Understand the requirements flow down process and be able to quickly iterate on evolving requirements

Excellent Communication Skills:  Effectively convey ideas and communicate technical topics with engineering, build staff, and operations; run self-directed design reviews and participate in reviews of parallel systems

Anticipation of Needs:   Identify problems, think creatively, and rapidly produce reliable and cost-effective solutions to meet the ever growing and changing needs of an early-stage company

 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree (Master's preferred) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of professional experience in antenna and RF design, including multiple antenna designs carried personally from concept through fabricated and characterized hardware
• Demonstrated phased-array antenna design experience, including ownership of array and element spacing, embedded element pattern behavior, mutual coupling and active reflection coefficient, grating lobe and scan volume trades, and array calibration. Single-element antenna design experience alone is not sufficient for this position
• Expertise with a full-wave electromagnetic solver such as HFSS, CST, or FEKO, including modeling of array structures in the presence of surrounding mechanical structure, and the ability to assess model validity and identify sources of simulation error
• Direct experience with antenna measurement and characterization, including anechoic chamber methodology, near-field and far-field pattern measurement, and gain and efficiency measurement

• Strong understanding of RF design principles, including impedance matching, signal integrity, low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, and oscillators
• Demonstrated receiver front-end design experience for sensitivity-limited systems, including noise figure cascade analysis, gain distribution, filtering, linearity and blocking performance, and downconversion architecture
• Experience with local oscillator generation and distribution across multi-channel systems, including phase matching, isolation, and spur management
• Hands-on RF bring-up, tuning, debug, and test experience using vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, noise figure instrumentation, signal generators, and oscilloscopes

• Expertise in PCB design and layout of high-frequency RF circuits, including transmission lines, co-planar waveguides, wireless SoCs, matching networks, low-noise amplifiers, mixers, and power amplifiers, in Altium Designer (preferred). This position requires direct execution of PCB layout rather than oversight of layout performed by others

• Proficiency with Python or MATLAB for RF analysis, link budget development, and measurement post-processing. Our team works primarily in Python
• Strong technical writing ability. Design decisions at Hubble are documented, reviewed, and maintained as living artifacts
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability and willingness to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing work environment
  
  

STRONGLY DESIRED

• Experience planning or supporting EMI/EMC test campaigns against standards such as MIL-STD-461 or CISPR, and closing findings through design change
• Experience in the design of antennas and RF systems for space or aerospace applications including material selection and outgassing, thermal cycling and radiation effects
• Working knowledge of NASA and MIL-spec requirements for space and high-reliability hardware, including MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-883 and NASA workmanship standards such as IPC/NASA J-STD-001ES, and of IPC-6012 Class 3 fabrication requirements
• Working knowledge of EMI/EMC design and compliance, including radiated and conducted emissions and susceptibility, shielding and filtering strategy, grounding and return path design, and platform-level self-interference
• Familiarity with radio regulatory compliance requirements and certification campaigns, such as FCC Part 15.247 and Part 15B, ETSI EN 300 328, and CE
• Familiarity with digital beamforming architectures and the interface between the analog aperture and FPGA-based processing
• Experience with wireless IoT network protocols such as BLE and Zigbee
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or serving as technical lead on a multi-engineer program

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
    💰 Salary: $101,000-177,000 (commensurate with experience)
      🩺 Comprehensive Benefits – Health, Dental, Vision, & HSA options
      🌍 Unlimited PTO
      🚇 Commuter Benefits (if working from HQ)
      🎓 Learning & Development Allowance
      💪 Health & Wellness Stipend
      🌎 Sabbatical Program – Recharge and explore new ideas
      🛠 Cutting-Edge Space Tech – Work on state-of-the-art satellite system

---

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

Hubble is required by the U.S. Government to comply with various space technology export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  All applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (“green card holders”) as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15). More information on ITAR can be found here.

Hubble is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. Each individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal employment opportunity and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.