Lead a team designing spacecraft antenna and feed-network systems (1–30 GHz) from concept through prototype, lab characterization, and on-orbit support. Integrate with RF, avionics, and mechanical teams, optimize for mass/thermal/power constraints, perform EM simulations and desense analysis, and debug real-world antenna performance.
As the Lead Antenna Engineer at Impulse, your core responsibility will be to lead a team designing antenna systems for spacecraft communication systems and GNSS receivers. You will work with RF engineers, avionics hardware engineers, mechanical engineers, and others to develop performant and maintainable solutions. You will own the antenna design lifecycle from initial design inception through prototype and characterization and supporting the design on orbit.
Responsibilities
- Define antenna and feed network systems for low, medium, and high gain spacecraft antennas
- Lead a team of all-star responsible engineers working on passive and active antenna designs ranging from LEO to deep space
- Architect and implement engineering processes to streamline antenna development, verification, and successful production
- Drive 1GHz – 30GHz antenna designs from initial analysis to prototype and complete characterization
- Work closely with RF engineers and mechanical engineers to integrate antenna designs into RF front ends and vehicle structures
- Optimize antenna designs for power handling, volume and mass constraints, and radiation and thermal environments present on orbit
- Analyze real-world performance of antennas, debug antenna issues on completed vehicles, and investigate methods to improve vehicle radiated performance
- Support RF and avionics teams by performing EM simulations of PCBs and other vehicle structures for desense analysis
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or related field
- 5+ years experience in research or development of antennas
- Familiarity with 3D EM simulation tools such as CST, HFSS, COMSOL, or Cenos
- Experience analyzing antenna systems in the lab (s-parameters, isolation, radiation patterns, propagation effects, etc)
- Strong foundations in RF concepts such as impedance matching, s-parameters, microwave network analysis, and power handling
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Master’s Degree or PhD in wireless communications, antenna engineering, or related area of study.
- 2+ years of demonstrated experience working on lead roles on spacecraft or other high reliability antenna applications
- Experience designing high gain, circularly polarized antennas
- Experience doing RF system-level testing in the lab using equipment such as spectrum analyzers, power meters, oscilloscopes, and noise figure analyzers.
- Experience designing antenna hardware for launch vehicles, satellites or spacecraft
- System-level antenna design and placement experience for desense mitigation
- Experience working closely with mechanical and vehicle engineers to integrate antenna designs with brackets and other vehicle hardware
- Experience in a start-up or agile development environment
- Familiarity with Earth station antenna systems
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.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
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