Digital & RF Systems Engineer

SWISSto12 is one of the world’s fastest-growing aerospace companies, evolving from its pioneering use of 3D printing technologies for high-performance Radio Frequency (RF) products and applications to manufacturing entire geostationary telecommunication satellites, called HummingSat, that define a new category in space and of which 4 have already been sold to international leading telecom operators: Intelsat and ViaSat (acqu. Inmarsat).
HummingSat is the world’s first commercial telecom GEO SmallSat developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). Its uniquely compact size combined with highly capable telecom payloads allows telecommunications operators to deploy a cost-efficient, compact and agile asset without sacrificing performance or security.
SWISSto12 is also a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and sub-systems. The  company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF products. This position is a unique opportunity to lead the development of a new class of telecommunication satellites.

You join SWISSto12 to contribute to development of Digital Processors and Digital Payloads, either made in-house or through qualified subcontractors, both for SWISSto12’s small GEO HummingSat and for other Space customer. The Digital & RF Systems Engineer leads or contributes to the definition, architecture, development, integration, and validation of advanced digital and RF communication systems for Space telecommunications applications. The role combines RF engineering and digital signal processing from requirements definition to test.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Engineering:
  1. Define end-to-end system architectures for complex digital and RF communication systems.
  2. Translate customer needs into system requirements and technical specifications.
  3. Lead system decomposition, requirements management, interface definition, and verification planning.
  4. Perform architectural trade studies and technology assessments to support product roadmap decisions.
  5. Understand and/or develop CONOPs, system requirements documents, interface control documents, and verification plans.
  6. Lead cross-functional development activities from concept through qualification and production
  7. Coordinate hardware, firmware, software, mechanical, and test teams
  8. Develop integration and verification strategies for complex systems
  9. Support system-level test activities
• Digital Payload & Signal Processing
  1. Define digital signal processing architectures for communication, sensing, and software-defined radio (SDR) applications.
  2. Specify FPGA, SoC, or other embedded processing solutions.
  3. Evaluate channelization, beamforming, modulation, coding, and baseband processing approaches.
  4. Support implementation and verification of DSP algorithms in FPGA and embedded platforms.
  5. Collaborate with firmware/software teams during development and integration phases.

• RF System Design
  1. Develop RF architectures from antenna interface through digital processing.
  2. Understand, verify and perform RF link budgets, cascade analysis, noise figure analysis, gain planning, linearity assessments, and system-level simulations.
  3. Define RF front-end requirements including amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, synthesizers, ADCs, and DACs.
  4. Support integration and validation of RF assemblies and subsystems.
  5. Troubleshoot and optimize RF system performance during development and testing.
• Others
  1. Define technical requirements and statements of work for subcontractors and suppliers.
  2. Review supplier designs and monitor technical performance throughout development.
  3. Participate in customer technical reviews and proposal activities.
  4. Support business development by contributing to technical solutions, capture strategies, and proposal preparation.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering, Systems Engineering or Telecommunications Engineering.
• 8+ years of experience in digital communications and RF systems, preferably in Space
• Experience with SDR, digital payloads or communication systems.
• Experience with qualification of SDR for Space applications.
• RF skills: Link budget analysis, Noise figure and gain analysis, RF simulations and modeling, Antenna and front-end subsystem integration, High-frequency test and measurement.
• Digital and Embedded Systems: familiar with FPGA and SoC architectures, High-speed ADC/DAC systems, Digital signal processing, High-speed digital interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, SERDES.,SPI, I²C), Firmware and software integration
• Tools: Knowledge of  MATLAB / Simulink, Python, C/C++, Agilent ADS, SystemVue
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities. Fluid in English.
• Ability to work within a multi-site environment

Benefits

To be chatted during your exchange with our recruitment team.

More about SWISSto12:
SWISSto12 has successfully established contracts with ViaSat (acqu. Inmarsat), Intelsat and ESA for HummingSat as well as contracts for its RF product line in Europe and the USA with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and ESA. SWISSto12 is a spin off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors. SWISSto12 is headquartered in Renens (close to Lausanne, Switzerland), and operates subsidiaries in Foster City California USA, Virginia USA, Madrid Spain and Copenhagen Denmark. The company is well funded for its developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream with near term profitability