Joblaze summary

The Spacecraft RF Engineer at Apex Space is responsible for designing and developing RF, digital, and optical communication systems for satellite buses, ensuring they meet telemetry requirements. This role requires expertise in spacecraft RF and telemetry communications, along with proficiency in MATLAB and integrated software/hardware verification. Ideal candidates will have 1-3 years of relevant experience and a background in aerospace engineering, making it suitable for early-career professionals eager to innovate in the aerospace sector. Apex is a fast-growing startup focused on creating a collaborative and impactful work environment.

Joblaze insights

Listed about 2 months ago — first seen on Joblaze September 3, 2026. Last confirmed on Apex Space's careers page November 2, 2026.
Salary band is in line with the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$130,000).
Starts above 65% of 88 comparable mid other roles that list MATLAB we track (median $105,000 across 15 companies). See MATLAB salary trends
MATLAB appears in 2.7% of 4805 comparable mid other roles.

Quick facts

What's the salary range?: Apex Space lists $120,000–$150,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?: 1–3 years of relevant experience for this Spacecraft RF Engineer (Early) role.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: MATLAB.
Does Apex Space sponsor work visas for this role?: Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
What seniority level is this role?: Apex Space targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Spacecraft RF Engineer (Early) role at Apex Space.

From the original posting

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned spacecraft RF engineer to work on a closely integrated team who will drive the design of hardware and software to meet the telemetry requirements of our bus. You will have an opportunity to approach this from a clean sheet design and inform coupled trades across the vehicle architecture. You will be innovative in your approach to push the limits of design and performance, while disrupting and making an impact on the industry.

Responsibilities

Design and develop RF, digital, and optical satellite communications systems and spacecraft architectures
Define and verify space communication system requirements and interfacesDrive requirements for subcomponents and drive supplier down selection
Perform analyses and simulations for space communication systems, including: link budgeting, analysis, signal distortion, system capacity, reliability, and performance
Develop analysis tools using MATLAB and object-oriented software platforms
Develop and verify system algorithms that meet functional and performance requirements
Perform hardware procurement, integration, design reviews, and verification
Work closely with other engineers to achieve overall system requirements.
Work with payload customers to accommodate payload requirements.

Requirements

U.S. Person status is required as this position needs to access export controlled data.
1-3 years of spacecraft RF and Telemetry communications experience
Experience across multiple spacecraft programs
Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field. Master’s degree preferred but not required.
Possess excellent interpersonal skills, able to work effectively within an organization and convey decisions, direction, and conclusions in a manner meaningful to multiple audiences.
Extensive experience in spacecraft design, launch, and operation, including experience at all phases of the development lifecycle
Experience in integrated software/hardware verification and testing.

What We Offer For Full-time Employees:

Shared upside: Receive equity in Apex, letting you benefit from the work you create

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

Spacecraft RF Engineer (Early)

About the Role

Responsibilities

Requirements

What We Offer For Full-time Employees:

Similar positions