Payload Systems Engineer III to join the team in Longmont, Colorado! We design, engineer, and manufacture our own antennas to support the payload integration needs of our customers.
Our Benefits- 3 Weeks of Paid Time Off
- 10 Paid Company Observed Holidays
- Birthday & Anniversary Incentives
- 401K Employer Match
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Company-paid Life Insurance
- Company-paid Short & Long-term Disability
- Continuing Education Reimbursement Program
- Generous Referral Program
The RoleThe Payload Systems Engineer is responsible for designing advanced payloads for satellite systems across all orbits.
Key Responsibilities- Design advanced communication payloads for satellite systems across all orbits (LEO, MEO, GEO)
- Contribute to the design, analysis, integration, and validation of satellite systems for next-generation missions
- Work across payload design, system performance analysis, assembly, integration and testing, and mission operations
- Support design trades involving payload capacity, system mass, power optimization, spectral resources, and overall mission-level performance
- Work closely with software, mechanical, thermal, and electrical engineering to optimize the satellite resources
- Analyze mission requirements and translate them into technical specifications, system-level requirements, and engineering constraints
- Optimize the performance of satellite systems by maximizing payload efficiency, minimizing satellite mass and volume, and improving power use and duty cycles
- Build and execute simulations and models to evaluate payload performance under various operating and environmental conditions
- Support Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) activities including test plans, procedures, troubleshooting, performance validation, and verification strategies to validate systems and payload performance
- Support major reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, TRR)
- Engage directly with hardware suppliers and evaluate hardware for payload architecture
- Support hardware procurement
- Participate in meetings and design reviews
- Responsible for overall communication subsystem
- Develop and maintain analysis tools across the program execution
- Develop payload block diagrams
- Requirements flow down
- Compute Link Budget Analysis
- Translate mission and system requirements into subsystem and unit-level technical requirements, interfaces, and verification criteria
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications & Experience- Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or related degree
- MSEE in related field desired, but not required
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar role
- RF Communications Engineering/Payload Systems background
- Payload Experience - ideally communication payloads
- Payload Analysis and Budgets: EIRP, G/T, Conversion factors, Signal level budgets, group delay, frequency response and more
- Knowledgeable with payload thermal and power aspects
- Active and passive communication payload hardware knowledge: HPA, LNA, Receivers, MRO, MLO, Converters, Filters, antenna subsystem(reflector based and DRAs)
- Familiar with digital payloads, (digital channelizer with or without beamforming)
- Strong understanding of satellite subsystems, particularly RF payloads, and spacecraft platforms
- Hands-on experience in system modelling, simulation, and performance assessment
- Experience with requirements development, ConOps definition, and system-level design processes
- Solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex system interactions
- Experience in working in satellite manufacturing environment preferred
- Experienced in digital payloads, (digital channelizer with or without beamforming), and/or regenerative payloads preferred
- Experience with Phased/Active Arrays and Optical communication preferred
- Familiarity with digital payloads, phased arrays, and advanced communication system architectures preferred
- Experience with environmental testing, satellite integration, or in-orbit payload testing preferred
- Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, STK or other scripting languages for simulation, analysis, and tool development preferred
- Must provide proof of US Citizenship or Permanent Residency to comply with ITAR requirements
- Ability to pass a drug screen per Vitesse's drug testing policy
- Ability to pass a criminal background check per Vitesse's policy
