Senior Phased Array Test Engineer

About us

At Viasat, the work you do helps people stay connected in ways that matter, from everyday moments to critical missions across air, land, sea, and space.

We’re a place for people who are curious, bold, and motivated by meaningful work. Here, you'll have the opportunity to make an impact, explore new possibilities, and grow your career in ways that align with your interests and goals. When you're ready to take on something new, you'll find leaders who support your development and help you turn your ambition into action.

What you'll do

Viasat’s Space Infrastructure Team designs, builds, and operates satellites that deliver global connectivity in demanding environments. Your work within the integration and test team will directly impact payload performance, schedule, and on‑orbit mission success.

This role is for a Senior AI&T (Assembly Integration and Test) Engineer focusing on Array RF Testing.

In this role, you will lead RF test development and validation for advanced space based phased array communications payloads. You will be responsible for defining how array performance is characterized, verified, and productionized across engineering and flight builds.  This role sits at the intersection of RF design, systems engineering, and test, with primary responsibility for validating phased array performance.

You will design and deploy scalable RF test solutions capable of measuring full-array and subarray performance, translating system requirements into repeatable validation strategies. This includes driving verification of key antenna metrics such as radiation patterns, EIRP, G/T, SNR, EVM, ACLR, beam steering accuracy, and calibration stability.

You will work closely with the product design teams, located in both Europe and the US, to interpret module requirements and turn them into corresponding test plans and test equipment requirements. You will work closely with systems engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure array performance meets specification across temperature, environmental stress, and production variation. 

This is a site‑based role, employees work 3+ days (60%+) per week from a Viasat office or work location within a standard five‑day workweek.

The day-to-day

Architecture & Validation Strategy

Develop and maintain RF test architectures for active phased array systems
Define validation strategies for beamforming, calibration, and performance at unit and integrated‑payload levels

Test Solution Development & Automation

Design and implement test solutions for radiation pattern measurement, conducted RF validation, and over‑the‑air characterization
Develop automation software in Python or similar languages to control units under test, instrumentation, and data systems

Data Analysis & Troubleshooting

Analyze RF data to assess gain, linearity, noise performance, phase coherence, and beam steering accuracy
Drive root‑cause analysis of RF performance issues and provide design feedback to improve yield and robustness
Support environmental and qualification testing from an RF performance standpoint
Operate as a hands‑on engineer, moving between architecture discussion, detailed RF debug, and data‑driven performance analysis

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Scalability

Interface with mechanical, digital, firmware, and manufacturing teams to ensure test coverage supports production scalability
Present performance results and technical trade studies to engineering leadership

What you'll need

• 8+ years experience in RF test and validation
• Experience with space-based or high-reliability phased array systems (satellite, radar, or equivalent)
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
• Deep understanding of antenna arrays, beamforming concepts, and RF signal chains
• Strong experience with RF test equipment including spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers, vector signal generators, and network analyzers.
• Strong experience with over-the-air testing (near field and far field)
• Demonstrated experience architecting automated RF test systems
• Experience troubleshooting complex RF systems and driving root cause to resolution
• U.S. citizenship required
• Ability to travel up to 10%

What will help you on the job

• Demonstrated end‑to‑end ownership of complex test systems, from concept through deployment, with clear accountability for outcomes
• Experience with active electronically steered arrays and digital beamforming architectures
• Background in over-the-air (OTA) test methodologies and compact range or near-field measurement systems
• Familiarity with calibration strategies for large scale arrays
• Experience supporting environmental qualification testing of spaceflight RF hardware
• Experience transitioning RF test solutions from engineering development to production environments
• Ability to operate effectively in cross-functional, schedule-driven programs

#LI-GS1

Salary range

$141,500.00 - $224,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $176,000.00- $264,000.00/ annually



At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat’s comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.
EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.