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Staff RF Systems Engineer

Playa Vista, California, United States

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Who We Are:
Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse-drawn chariots, ocean-going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth. 
 
What You’ll Do:
As a Staff RF Systems Engineer at Inversion, you will play a pivotal role in the design, development, test, and integration of our vehicle’s RF systems that enable our spacecraft to complete its mission of operating in space and the eventual return to earth for recovery. Working closely with avionics, firmware/software, and mechanical engineering teams, you will drive the full lifecycle of RF system development—from concept and simulation to testing and integration. You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics.
 
  • Define RF hardware and system-level specifications and lead the development, integration, and test of RF avionics for satellite communication, including telemetry, command, and GNSS systems across UHF to Ka-band frequencies.
  • Simulate and model communication systems to evaluate RF impairments, assess feasibility, and refine system performance.
  • Evaluate and characterize prototypes and flight hardware to ensure compliance with performance requirements and mission objectives.
  • Work with internal teams (mechanical, electrical, software) and external vendors to integrate RF systems into spacecraft and support flight operations.
  • Oversee all technical and programmatic aspects of the RF avionics that fly on the satellite, including but not limited to telemetry, command, and GNSS radios, antennas, and link budgets from UHF through Ka-band
  • Oversee environmental testing (vibration, shock, thermal, and vacuum) to qualify in-house and vendor-designed RF hardware for spaceflight.
  • Provide technical expertise to regulatory, coordination, and market access teams to ensure compliance with industry and government standards.
  • Contribute to a positive team culture fostering technical excellence and innovation.
Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in microwave/RF engineering.
  • Strong RF fundamentals, including RF link budgets and antenna placement planning.
  • Proficiency in modeling and building RF systems using MATLAB/Python.
  • Experience with digital communication systems, including OFDM, spread spectrum, and modulation techniques (QAM, QPSK, APSK).
  • Hands-on experience with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, vector signal analyzers/generators, network analyzers).
  • RF system design and implementation experience for spacecraft, rockets, or related systems.
 
Desired Qualifications:
  • Master's or PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on RF/microwave circuits or communication theory
  • Experience designing and simulating RF communication systems
  • Strong knowledge of RF passive/active components and microwave radio performance characterization
  • Expertise in digital communication systems, including spread spectrum, modulation (PSK, APSK, QAM), and single/multi-carrier techniques
  • Proficiency in modeling RF and channel impairments (multipath, phase noise, group delay, fading, nonlinear distortion)
  • Experience in RF system design for applications such as radio astronomy, SIGINT, ELINT, radar, or wireless communications

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in-office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $160,000-190,000.  Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. 

ITAR Compliance:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.  
 
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.  If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.

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