RF Engineer III, Antennas - Lunar Permanence Verified today
This role is part of the Lunar Permanence business unit, which develops Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers and related products. You will assist in the design, manufacturing, and testing of antennas for Blue Origin's lunar spacecraft, working from early concepts through product prototypes to initial flight units.
You will leverage your understanding of RF engineering, antenna parameter optimization, microstrip, aperture, wire and parabolic antenna types and their manufacture. The team develops custom antennas that enhance target radio performance by taking advantage of material properties and designing to meet challenging environmental and test requirements. You will report into the Lunar Antenna Vertical Integration team responsible for spacecraft antenna design, development, test, and qualification.
Responsibilities
- Develop, execute, and manage the plan for design, development, test, and qualification of antennas and associated components for spacecraft communications
- Work with Lunar Electrical Systems Group and other product teams to identify needs for antenna product definitions that meet communications requirements
- Serve as subject matter expert on your assigned antenna system
- Collaborate with manufacturing operations, supply chain, and other teams to ensure smooth execution of development efforts
- Look for opportunities to increase performance, enable new capabilities, reduce cost, and reduce cycle time and production time
Minimum Qualifications
- B.S. in electrical engineering, physics, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in antenna design, RF systems, analysis, modeling, and optimization of spacecraft communications assemblies
- Hands-on experience in development, prototyping, and testing of antennas and complex RF components for aerospace applications
- Proficiency in RF communication system development fundamentals: system design and analysis, free-space transmission principles, RF system modeling and simulation
- Experience working across multiple frequency bands such as UHF, L, S, X, and Ka
- In-depth knowledge of antenna design modeling and communication theory (gain control, beam forming, antenna polarization, multi-path interference, multipactor)
- Ability to challenge status-quo, break down issues to fundamental elements, and drive efficient product solutions with emphasis on long-term goals and product sustainability
- Excellent verbal communication skills to influence a variety of direct and indirect stakeholders
- Strong technical background or technical writing experience
- Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum
Preferred Qualifications
- M.S. in Electrical Engineering with focus on high-frequency RF system design and optimization
- Knowledge of antenna design modeling systems (ANSYS HFSS, FEKO, GRASP)
- Experience building and testing conformal microstrip, parabolic, horn, and wire antennas
Compensation
Base pay range for Washington applicants: $130,706.00 to $182,987.70. Other site ranges may differ.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
- Paid parental leave, short and long-term disability
- 401(k) with company match up to 5%
- Education Support Program
- Stock options for all regular employees (20+ hours/week)
- Paid time off: up to four weeks per year based on scheduled hours, plus up to 14 company-paid holidays
- Performance-based bonuses and benefits at company discretion