Senior Radio Frequency Systems Engineer

About Northwood:

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array and parabolic ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role:

Northwood is seeking a Senior RF Systems Engineer to own and advance the system-level performance and validation of our next-generation phased-array antenna systems. This individual will play a critical role in ensuring our RF systems meet performance requirements throughout development, production, deployment, and customer acceptance.

This is a highly hands-on role that combines RF systems engineering, sophisticated measurement and characterization, and cross-functional integration. You will own end-to-end RF link budgets, develop and execute system-level validation strategies, bring up new hardware, and work closely with antenna, RF, DSP, and modem teams to identify and resolve performance gaps. Your work will directly influence the performance, reliability, and successful deployment of Northwood's ground infrastructure.

Responsibilities:

• Own RF system-level validation across development, production, and deployment, establishing measurement methodologies, test procedures, and performance acceptance criteria.

• Develop and maintain end-to-end SATCOM link budgets incorporating measured EIRP, G/T, noise figure, propagation losses, interference, and modem performance.

• Lead RF characterization and first-article bring-up of phased-array modules, panels, and integrated antenna systems through chamber, production, and outdoor testing.

• Develop and execute calibrated RF measurements, including absolute G/T, EIRP, radiation patterns, beam pointing, gain, linearity, and near-field/far-field characterization.

• Analyze RF front-end performance, beamforming architectures, and calibration approaches to identify performance limitations and guide system improvements.

• Collaborate with RF, FPGA, DSP, and modem teams to investigate system-level performance gaps, including EVM, BER/BLER, acquisition, throughput, and spectral compliance.

• Develop Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for RF modeling, measurement automation, calibration, and data analysis.

• Support spectrum licensing, regulatory submissions, and coordination by providing technical analyses, system performance data, and engineering documentation.

• Prepare technical validation reports, present RF performance results to customers and partners, and support system acceptance and deployment readiness.
  

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years of experience in RF systems engineering, antenna characterization, phased arrays, or RF test and validation.

• Strong fundamentals in electromagnetics, antenna theory, RF systems, and communications engineering.

• Experience with RF system and link analysis, including noise figure, linearity, EIRP, G/T, C/N0, Eb/N0, and link margin.

• Hands-on experience developing and executing RF measurements using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and other RF instrumentation.

• Experience troubleshooting RF hardware and system-level performance issues through measurement, analysis, and experimentation.

• Understanding of digital communications and the relationship between RF impairments, EVM, BER, and spectral performance.

• Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for modeling, test automation, and RF data analysis.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with phased-array calibration and characterization, including beamforming, amplitude and phase measurements, near-field/far-field testing, absolute G/T and EIRP, and measurement uncertainty analysis.

• Experience developing RF test methodologies and performing system-level validation in anechoic chambers, production environments, or outdoor antenna test sites.

• Familiarity with SATCOM waveforms and modem architectures such as DVB-S2/S2X or CCSDS.

• Experience with SDR-integrated systems and FPGA, DSP, modem, or embedded software development.

• Experience supporting RF system qualification, regulatory compliance, customer acceptance testing, or deployed communications systems.

• Familiarity with electromagnetic simulation tools such as HFSS, CST, or FEKO.

Additional Information:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space 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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know at [email protected]