SAIC

Principal RF Payload Engineer

SAIC$120K — $150K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree with 9+ years or Master's degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
  • 8-12+ years in RF payloads, RF systems, or radar payload development.
  • Deep expertise in RF hardware design and payload architectures.
  • Proficient with RF test equipment such as VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.
  • Must hold a TS/SCI clearance and be flexible to acquire a polygraph.

Responsibilities

  • Lead RF payload development and subsystem integration efforts.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive RF payload testing plans.
  • Conduct RF link analysis and troubleshoot issues within systems and components.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams on payload design and mission criteria.
  • Aid in hardware manufacturing readiness and certification processes.
  • Create engineering documentation, test reports, and configuration-controlled artifacts.
  • Engage in design reviews and technical meetings for alignment and feedback.

Benefits

  • Support for ongoing education and professional development.
  • Collaborative workspace with multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Opportunities to engage in innovative space systems projects.
  • Exposure to cutting-edge RF technology advancements.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Position Summary:

The RF Payload Engineer will support advanced space systems with a focus on RF payload development, integration, and production testing. This role contributes to the development, verification, and sustainment of RF payload hardware for space-based intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and communications missions.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead and execute RF payload development including architecture definition, component selection, and subsystem integration.
• Develop and implement production-level RF payload testing including functional, performance, and environmental test plans.
• Perform RF link analysis, payload signal chain validation, and troubleshooting at system and component levels.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams on payload interfaces and mission requirements.
• Support hardware manufacturing readiness, test procedure development, and flight certification processes.
• Generate engineering documentation, test reports, technical briefings, and configuration-controlled artifacts.
• Participate in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and customer working groups.
• Provide technical insight during vendor management and risk assessments.

Qualifications

Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience .
• 8-12+ years of experience in RF payloads, RF systems, or radar payload development.
• Expertise in RF hardware design, payload architectures, and test methodologies.
• Experience with RF test equipment including VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.
Must have a TS/SCI, and be willing to obtain a poly.

About SAIC

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is a technology integrator in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC has approximately 26,000 employees and operates in more than 70 countries. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. SAIC provides services to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and civilian agencies. The company also serves commercial customers in the healthcare, energy, and financial services sectors.
Learn more about SAIC
Size
26,000 employees
Market Cap
$6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$206 million
Founded
1969
5 Year Trend
+10.7%
Revenue
$6.8 billion
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at SAIC

  • SAIC
    Cloud Architect
    $120K — $150K *
    Fort Washington, MD 20744 (Prince Georges County)
    Information Technology
    Hybrid
  • SAIC
    Cloud Architect
    $120K — $160K *
    Remote
    Information Technology
    Remote
  • SAIC
    Director, Capture Manager - Intel Space
    $200K — $240K *
    Remote
    Aerospace & Defense
    Remote in Virginia, US
  • SAIC
    Network Engineer
    $120K — $160K *
    Stafford, VA 22554 (Stafford County)
    Telecommunications & Hardware
    In-Person
  • SAIC
    Technical Writer
    $120K — $160K *
    Beale Afb, CA 95903 (Yuba County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Principal RF Payload Engineer jobs: