Job Summary

As a Principal RF/Electrical Engineer at Elveo, you will be responsible for wearing many hats in the world of radio frequencies, electronics, hardware, and software. You will be responsible for the analysis, design, implementation, optimization, and enhancement of our satellite communications systems (and, ultimately, the future constellation network, including inter-satellite and multi-orbit links). Some work products will include link budgets analyses, system dimensioning for coverage and capacity (including traffic analysis and simulation), initial system design and dimensioning, coverage planning, frequency planning, interference analysis and mitigation techniques. This engineer will also be responsible for supporting the iterative design and testing of our satellite communications systems hardware/electronics and software. This will include working with software defined radios, single-board computers, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, and filters - you will also be involved in our payload antenna selection and design. While playing with all this hardware on a bench, you'll probably need to pick up a soldering gun, use a spectrum analyzer, assemble circuits on a breadboard, and/or configure an RF channel simulator.

If you enjoy the challenge of wearing many hats and have a track record of creative thinking to solve unconventional problems, then we look forward to meeting you!

Core Responsibilities

The RF/Electrical Engineer will be responsible for straddling engineering work in the domains of RF, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering.

• Support design of satellite communications systems hardware (RF-Front-End, LNA, SSPA, PLLs, Filters, etc.) and software design and development
• Support selection and design of small satellite antenna technologies
• Develop link budget analyses, simulations, traffic/capacity analysis, RF system design and dimensioning, coverage and frequency planning, etc.
• Support satellite communications systems integration, testing, delivery to launch and satellite bus partners/vendors.
• Design and plan satellite communications systems testing configurations on the ground when testing satellite communications systems performance both in-lab and in-orbit.
• Interface with Systems Engineering team to inform constellation/network architecture and design based on RF communications systems performance.
• Bench level mechatronics work including testing, integration, assembly, programming and prototyping of electronics hardware and software.
• Some software-based Systems Engineering analysis.
• Support developing and maintaining technical documentation for hardware/software design and development.
• Must be able to work independently and in a team environment.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree (or better) in RF or Electrical Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience working on projects developing space payload hardware and software (preferably communications systems).
• Thorough understanding of RF link budget, RF active and passive components.
• Experience in designing wireless communication systems.
• Experience in basic principles of antenna theory.
• Hands-on experience from concept to production with RF Front End design, SDRs, antennas, LNA, SSPA, filters, couplers, RF switches, PLLs, antennas, DC-DC converters, microcontroller, FPGA is highly desired.
• Hands-on experience with testing, troubleshooting, and debugging RF systems.
• Programming Proficiency in one or more programming languages is highly desired (e.g., C++, C, Python, MATLAB, etc.)
• Experience working with Linux based systems.
• Proficiency with electrical design software, such as Altium Designer, ADS, and SolidWorks are highly desired.
• Proficiency with test equipment including VNAs, protocol signal generators, and spectrum analyzers.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of RF air interfaces and their use of multiple access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, CDMA, etc. is highly desired.
• Hands-on experience with integrating hardware and software systems is desired.
• Must be good with computers. Fluent in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX; Very capable with Microsoft Office (Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Word).
• Hands-on experience with programming microcontrollers, FPGAs and SDRs is desired.
• Knowledge of some communications/networking protocols (for instance: IP, TCP/IP, DVB-S/S2/S2X, CCSDS, LoRA, TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, GSE Encapsulation, ZeroMQ, VXLAN tunneling, DHCP, Tailscale, Ethernet, etc.)

ITAR Requirements

To comply with U.S. Government export control regulations (ITAR), applicants must be one of the following: (i) a U.S. citizen or national, (ii) a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) a refugee under 8 U.S.C. a7 1157, or (iv) an asylee under 8 U.S.C. a7 1158. Individuals who do not meet these criteria must be eligible to obtain the necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please refer to the ITAR guidelines.

Learn about ITAR here.

Job Location

Chantilly, VA.