Joblaze summary

In the role of Principal RF Antenna Engineer at K2 Space, the individual will focus on testing and measuring radiofrequency and microwave electronics for advanced satellite systems. Key skills include expertise in RF engineering, environmental testing, and proficiency with RF test equipment. This position is ideal for seasoned professionals with over eight years of experience in microwave or antenna engineering, particularly those familiar with classified systems. K2 Space is a rapidly growing company, backed by significant funding, and is poised to make a substantial impact in the aerospace sector.

Joblaze insights

Listed about 2 months ago — first seen on Joblaze September 3, 2026. Last confirmed on K2 Space's careers page November 10, 2026.
Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$127,500).
Starts above 63% of 97 comparable principal other roles in United States we track (median $181,913 across 30 companies).
RF appears in 4.8% of 229 comparable principal other roles in United States; microwave appears in 0.4% of 229 comparable principal other roles in United States.

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, Top Secret Clearance role.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Altair FEKO, Ansys Electronics Desktop HFSS, Antenna Engineering, Environmental Testing, Filters, Ka-band.
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, Top Secret Clearance 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 Role

K2 Space builds satellites for commercial, science, and national security missions, including programs operating in the classified domain. In this role, you will be responsible for the test & measurement of radiofrequency (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 fly in space in support of our customers' most sensitive national security missions.

Responsibilities

Lead research, design, and procurement of antenna elements
Qualify radiofrequency and antenna hardware through environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum (TVAC)
Assist with design and validation testing for radiofrequency and microwave hardware from UHF through Ka band, including phased array 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
Deep experience with classified systems and their security requirements

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!

Standard company text repeated across K2 Space's postings is omitted here.

Principal RF Antenna Engineer, Top Secret Clearance

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