Lead the design and validation of RF and microwave electronics for cutting-edge satellite systems at K2 Space.
Posted by employer 9 months ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 week ago
Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago
Skills & Technologies
Requirements
- Experience
- 8+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement, visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
The Principal RF Antenna Engineer at K2 Space focuses on designing and validating advanced RF and microwave electronics for high-power satellites. This role requires expertise in antenna systems, environmental testing, and RF hardware, with a strong background in microwave engineering. Ideal candidates will have over eight years of relevant experience and thrive in a fast-paced startup environment. K2 Space is rapidly scaling its satellite production, making this an exciting opportunity for those looking to contribute to groundbreaking aerospace technology.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 9 days ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from K2 Space's career page.
- K2 Space has 222 other open roles including Senior Modeling & Simulation Engineer: National Security Missions, Senior Platform Engineer (DevX) , Principal Tooling Engineer.
- 126 active RF roles on Joblaze right now.
- 94 active FPGA roles on Joblaze right now.
- 46 active DSP roles on Joblaze right now.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$126,887).
- Pays more than 94% of the 50 salaried RF roles we track (median $125,000).
Quick facts
- What's the salary range?
- K2 Space lists $200,000–$270,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 8 years of relevant experience for this Principal RF Antenna Engineer role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Altair FEKO, Ansys Electronics Desktop HFSS, Antenna, DSP, Environmental Testing, FPGA.
- What seniority level is this role?
- K2 Space targets principal-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Principal RF Antenna Engineer role at K2 Space.
From the original posting
K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.
The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today's and tomorrow's massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.
With multiple launches in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.
The Role
You will be responsible for the design & validation of radio-frequency (RF) and microwave electronics to be hosted on some of the largest, most powerful, rapidly designed, and rapidly manufactured satellites ever deployed in space. In your first 6 months, you will work with a multidisciplinary team of antenna, RF, field programmable gate array (FPGA), digital signal processing (DSP), software, mechanical, and electrical engineers in order to prototype your systems and refine your designs. In your first two years you will have contributed to developing cutting-edge RF systems that will fly in space.
Responsibilities
- Lead research, design, and procurement of antenna systems
- Qualify radio-frequency and antenna hardware through environmental testing, including vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum (TVAC)
- Assist with design and validation testing for radio-frequency and microwave hardware from UHF through Ka band, including antennas, low noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, filters, high-speed converters, and other RF electronic components
- Execute development and production tests to meet internal and external customer needs
- Collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders to integrate your designs into the spacecraft system
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer, electrical, aerospace engineering, or other relevant science, technology, or mathematics discipline
- 8+ years of experience in microwave, RF, or antenna engineering
- Experience with RF test equipment such as vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzer, etc.
- Experience with anechoic chambers and antenna measurement assets such as near field scanners
- Ability to work in a fast-paced and high velocity start-up atmosphere
Nice to Have
- Master’s or Ph.D. degree in a field related to antenna design and analysis
- Experience with environmental testing for space electronics such as thermal, vibration, TVAC, radiation, and EMI/EMC testing per standards such as SMC-S-016
- Experience with RF systems testing, including antenna characterization and insertion loss tests
- Experience with antenna and electromagnetic modeling and analysis software tools such as Ansys Electronics Desktop HFSS and Altair FEKO
- Experience with software defined radio hardware development including high speed RF data converters (digital to analog and analog to digital converters), clock trees, and data converter interfaces
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base salary range for this role is $200,000 - $270,000 + equity in the company
- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks
If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!
If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
Export Compliance
As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.
Equal Opportunity
K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 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.