Owns the design, development, and implementation of RF test fixtures and software for wireless space products. Responsibilities include controlling RF test equipment, testing radios and GNSS receivers up to 32GHz, building hardware fixtures, supporting radiation and ground station testing, and developing satellite-to-ground data pipeline tests. The role collaborates across RF, software, mechanical, hardware, and ground software teams.
As an RF Test Engineer, your core responsibility will be to own the design, bring up, and implementation of test fixtures and software for Impulse Space’s wireless products. You will work with RF engineers, RF software engineers, mechanical engineers, and others to meet test needs across a wide range of capabilities. You may work on uplink and downlink radios up to 32GHz, GNSS receivers, desense testing, and coexistence testing.
Responsibilities
- Work with a cross-disciplinary team to define and implement RF test requirements, implement RF test software architecture, and design and build RF test hardware fixtures.
- Implement scripts to control RF test equipment including spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, antenna test infrastructure, power meters, power supplies, and other devices.
- Design and implement fixtures to test design compatibility with GNSS constellations and ground station infrastructure
- Work with hardware and software engineers to prepare testing for radiation and ground station test programs
- Work with ground software teams to develop and test satellite to ground data pipelines
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related technical field
- Experience writing scripts for wireless systems or hardware testing infrastructure
- Ability to work in the lab with RF equipment including spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and software defined radios
- Proficient in testing and troubleshooting RF devices
- 2+ years experience writing Python, LabView, TILE, or other test software
- Strong understanding of RF system parameters such as channel power, EVM, modulation, and bandwidth
- Experience writing and documenting RF test procedures for use by other engineers and technicians
- Strong software debugging skills
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience testing and troubleshooting microcontrollers and/or FPGA's
- Familiarity working with embedded Linux
- Experience with common RF protocols like SRS4, DVBS-II, and CCSDS
- Experience with GNU radio flowgraph development and troubleshooting
- Familiarity with satellite spectrum licensing laws, agencies, and standards
- Experience testing RF devices for regulatory compliance
- Experience in a startup or agile development environment
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse 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.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
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