LEAD ENGINEER - PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - RF Engineer at Southwest Research Institute

Who We Are:

The Spacecraft Development Department is a group of innovative engineers, program managers, and technicians developing unique spacecraft solutions for challenging space missions. We design and fabricate custom solutions to explore the boundaries of science or solve complex problems not yet delivered by industry to accommodate a variety of payloads.

Objectives of this Role:

• Design, analyze, and develop RF systems for spacecraft.
• Work in integrated project teams to support the full lifecycle of spacecraft development.
• Interface with customers and vendors on technical specifications, requirements, design, test performance, and other critical elements of the development process.
• Support R&D and promotional efforts to develop and implement new technologies.
• Mentor engineers, technologists, and technicians.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Supervise and lead all efforts related to the communications subsystem including design, analysis, link budget, communication subsystem component selection, integration, and test.
• Work with customers and engineers to develop subsystem specifications and requirements.
• Develop test procedures for communications subsystem and analyze performance; produce reports as necessary.
• Design communications subsystems for proposals.
• Propose and perform internal research to improve technology and establish competitive advantage.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors or Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related Engineering degree with a Satellite Communications focus.
• 8-18 years: Full life cycle spacecraft RF Communication subsystem engineering experience including capability to conduct link budget analysis for complicated communications solutions.
• Working knowledge of applicable CCSDS standards, modern communication modulation types, and data encoding methods is required. Knowledge of communication cybersecurity is preferred.
• Spacecraft RF test experience preferred.
• Experience in satellite development preferred.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required.