RF Design Engineer · Astranis

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:21:49 GMT
Engineering

Astranis · San Francisco · Base Salary: $120,000-$165,000 USD · onsite

As an RF Engineer, you will be responsible for design, qualification, and procurement of active RF electronics in the RF front end of satellite payloads. You will work closely with other mechanical, payload systems, electrical, and software engineers to achieve overall system requirements in your designs.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Design, simulate, implement, and measure active and passive RF sub-systems at microwave frequencies, including SSPAs, LNAs, power amplifiers, up/down converters, oscillators, filters, etc.

Be responsible for hardware designs from requirements definition through manufacturing, bring-up, and qualification testing

Integrate these systems into the spacecraft by working closely with the rest of the team

Specify, procure, and integrate third-party vendor hardware

Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly growing team

Requirements:

BS in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or equivalent

Passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development

1-6 years of experience

Deep knowledge of fundamental RF concepts, such as RF circuit analysis, noise, linearity, radio architectures, etc

Hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing RF hardware for microwave frequencies

Experience with RF simulation tools (ADS, Cadence, HFSS, etc)

Bonus:

MS or PhD in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or equivalent

Experience with PCB design, layout, and simulation (Altium or similar)

Experience with system-in-package (SiP), multi-chip modules (MCM), packaged RF hybrids, etc

Experience developing communications satellite payloads

Experience designing SSPAs or implementing SSPA-based phased arrays

Experience with designing high-reliability electronics for harsh environments such as space or automotive

Antennas and electromagnetics propagation knowledge and background

Experience with software-defined radios and associated skillset (mixed signal, high-speed digital)

Familiarity with Python or other scripting languages used for automating test instruments

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits. Base pay is just one component of Astranis's total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary: $120,000-$165,000 USD