AstroTalentSpace Jobs

Systems Engineer III (RF / Microwave Systems) Verified today

Blue Origin · 2 Locations · RF & Comms · first seen 2026-10-20
Apply at Blue Origin →

Systems Engineer III (RF/Microwave Systems)

Blue National Security | Special Programs | Mission Engineering and Architecture

This role supports the design, development, and delivery of advanced space-based sensing systems for national security missions. You will work at the forefront of mission engineering and architecture, developing next-generation space systems that address demanding challenges in the defense domain.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain system-level requirements for advanced space-based sensing systems, ensuring traceability from mission objectives through subsystem specifications
  • Conduct system architecture trade studies and analyses to evaluate design alternatives, performance margins, and technical feasibility
  • Author and review key systems engineering artifacts including Concepts of Operations (CONOPs), System Requirements Documents (SRDs), Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Systems Engineering Management Plans (SEMPs)
  • Perform link budget analyses and RF system performance assessments relevant to space-based sensing architectures
  • Study the design, analyze, and optimize UHF-band antenna systems, including aperture sizing, beam pattern characterization, polarization, and gain/noise performance in the space environment
  • Evaluate antenna integration trades including deployable structures, phased array configurations, and feed network design at UHF frequencies
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including payload, spacecraft, ground systems, and mission operations to ensure end-to-end system coherence
  • Support design reviews and provide technical inputs to R&D program milestones
  • Engage with government customers and mission partners to understand operational needs and translate them into actionable system requirements
  • Support risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical performance measurement tracking throughout the program lifecycle

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline
  • 5+ years of experience in systems engineering within the aerospace, defense, or national security domain
  • Demonstrated experience with UHF-band antenna design, including analysis of antenna performance parameters (gain, beamwidth, polarization, impedance matching) in space or airborne environments
  • Experience with phased array antenna systems, including electronically steered arrays (ESAs) at UHF frequencies
  • Proficiency in RF system performance analysis, including link budgets and system noise figure calculations
  • Experience developing and managing system-level requirements using requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Jama, or equivalent)
  • Familiarity with systems engineering processes and standards (e.g., NASA/DoD SE frameworks, MIL-STD-499, or equivalent)
  • Experience with space-based RF sensing or surveillance system architectures
  • Familiarity with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) or Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) signal processing concepts and their implications on system design
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation and present to different audiences
  • Active TS//SCI security clearance
  • 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

  • Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
  • Experience with radar system performance modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB, STK, or custom simulation environments)
  • Familiarity with space environment effects on RF systems, including ionospheric propagation, Faraday rotation, and thermal cycling impacts on antenna structures
  • Prior experience working within a Special Programs or classified program environment
  • Experience interfacing with DoD or Intelligence Community (IC) customers

Location and Work Details

  • Relocation assistance available
  • Travel expectation: up to 10%
  • Individual contributor role

Compensation

Base pay range varies by location: VA applicants $130,706.00 to $182,987.70; CO applicants $119,814.00 to $167,738.55. 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 regular employees (20+ hours per week)
  • Up to four weeks paid time off per year plus up to 14 company-paid holidays
  • Bonus eligibility based on role type and job level (amounts not guaranteed)