Spacecraft RF Engineer

Job Responsibilities

• Lead RF system architecture design, link budget analyses, and the integration of spacecraft communications subsystem.
• Design and route custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) interfacing with various spacecraft subsystems.
• Perform comprehensive Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility (EMI/EMC) analysis and testing across the entire spacecraft.
• Lead magnetic cleanliness efforts, including dipole modeling, stray field budgeting, and hands‑on magnetic survey testing on flight hardware.
• Ensure regulatory compliance (FCC/NTIA), document design processes, and provide technical guidance on test configurations and grounding to fellow engineers.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or similar field, with 5+ years of hands‑on aerospace hardware experience.
• Expertise in link budgets and spacecraft communications subsystems.
• Proficiency in PCB design software (e.g. Altium, Kicad, etc.).
• Expertise working with test equipment such as oscilloscopes, manual soldering/rework, and RF test equipment.
• Proven experience evaluating, testing, and integrating RF hardware, working in clean room environments, and adhering to ESD protocols.

Desired Job Qualifications

• Experience with spacecraft magnetic cleanliness programs, magnetic modeling, or stray field characterization.
• Deep practical experience with EMI/EMC testing standards (MIL-STD-461) and spacecraft‑level grounding schemes.
• Experience with the NASA GEVS standard, IPC Class board assembly standards, and designing electronics specifically for space applications.

Job Details

Job Type: Direct Hire
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Salary Range: $130K-170K

ITAR obligations are associated with this role, U.S. citizenship, U.S. legal permanent resident status, or protected person status under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a) (1),(3) is required.
May be required to obtain and maintain a United States Department of Defense Top Secret security clearance.

About Protingent

Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.