Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

2026 Graduate - RF Engineer - Spaceflight Missions

Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent required.
  • Strong interest in RF design, signal processing, and communications.
  • Willingness to travel occasionally to sponsor and contractor sites.
  • Ability to obtain a top secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, integrate, and test flight RF hardware from UHF to Ka-band.
  • Analyze electromagnetic wave propagation and related effects.
  • Support terrestrial and space-based communications with advanced digital signal processing.
  • Collaborate with systems engineers to determine communication requirements for space missions.
  • Build and integrate telecommunication subsystems onto spacecraft.

Benefits

  • Opportunities to work on innovative RF systems for space exploration.
  • Engagement in multi-disciplinary teamwork with experts across various fields.
  • Work in a high-stakes, mission-critical environment with national security implications.
  • Possibility to participate in testing, launching, and operating space missions.
Full Job Description
Description

Do you want to become an expert in Engineering RF electronics, sensors, and systems for space?

Are you passionate about space exploration and ensuring our nation's security?

If you are graduating with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent, we would love to have you join our RF Engineering team!

We are seeking an RF Engineer ready to take on new challenges with us as we develop RF systems and components for spaceflight missions. You will join a team of multi-disciplinary staff who develop, integrate, test, launch, and operate complex RF systems and the electronic building blocks that enable them. We provide our sponsors with world class performance, cost-effective and often first-of-their-kind RF systems operating reliably in extremely harsh space environments.

As an RF Engineer you will:
  • Design, develop, integrate and test flight RF hardware operating at UHF through Ka-band, including software defined radios, antennas, solid-state power amplifiers and ultra-stable oscillators.
  • Perform analysis of electromagnetic wave propagation, scattering, multipactor and corona effects.
  • Support a wide set of terrestrial and space-based communications, radio-navigation, radio-metric, and remote sensing applications with novel and computationally efficient digital signal processing algorithms and environmentally robust hardware.
  • Work with mission-level systems engineers to establish communications requirements for a mission, design and build a telecommunications subsystems that meets these requirements, integrate the subsystem onto the spacecraft, and help launch and operate the mission.

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...
  • Have a Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent.
  • Have a passion for RF design, signal processing, communications, and wireless systems.
  • Are willing and able to travel occasionally to sponsor and contractor sites.
  • Are able to obtain an interim top secret security clearance by the start date and ultimately obtain a final top secret clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You will go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...
  • Have experience working with RF design software and test equipment.
  • Have an active Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Minimum Rate

$85,000 Annually

Maximum Rate

$165,000 Annually

About Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a research and development organization that provides solutions to national security and scientific challenges. The laboratory was founded in 1942 and is located in Laurel, Maryland. APL is a division of the Johns Hopkins University and is a not-for-profit organization. The laboratory has expertise in a variety of areas, including space exploration, national security, and healthcare.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Size
7,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1942

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar 2026 Graduate - RF Engineer - Spaceflight Missions jobs: