Principal RF/Electrical Engineer
About Lynk
Lynk is the inventor of satellite direct to standard phone technology. The company holds the world's only commercial FCC license to operate a sat2phone system, enabling text messaging to standard unmodified mobile devices from space. Service has been tested on all seven continents with regulatory approvals in over 30 countries and commercial deployment underway across 40+ mobile network operator contracts.
The Role
As Principal RF/Electrical Engineer, you will design, analyse, and optimise satellite communications systems hardware and software. You will work across RF, electrical, mechanical and software engineering domains, from initial link budget analysis through constellation network design and in-orbit validation.
Core Responsibilities
- Design satellite communications systems hardware including RF Front-End, LNA, SSPA, PLLs, filters and supporting software
- Select and design small satellite antenna technologies
- Develop link budget analyses, simulations, traffic and capacity analysis, RF system design and dimensioning, coverage and frequency planning
- Support systems integration, testing, and delivery to launch and satellite bus partners
- Design and plan ground-based testing configurations for in-lab and in-orbit satellite communications systems performance validation
- Interface with Systems Engineering to inform constellation and network architecture based on RF communications performance
- Perform bench-level mechatronics work including testing, integration, assembly, programming and prototyping of electronics hardware and software
- Conduct software-based systems engineering analysis
- Develop and maintain technical documentation for hardware and software design
- Work independently and collaboratively within team environments
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in RF or Electrical Engineering
- 15+ years experience developing space payload hardware and software, preferably communications systems
- Thorough understanding of RF link budget and RF active and passive components
- Experience designing wireless communication systems
- Knowledge of antenna theory fundamentals
- Hands-on experience with testing, troubleshooting and debugging RF systems
- Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium
- Proficiency with test equipment including VNAs, protocol signal generators and spectrum analysers
- Fluent in Linux, Windows and Mac OSX
- Capable with Microsoft Office (Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Word)
Highly Desired Qualifications
- Hands-on experience from concept to production with RF Front End design, SDRs, antennas, LNA, SSPA, filters, couplers, RF switches, PLLs, DC-DC converters, microcontrollers and FPGAs
- Programming proficiency in C++, C, Python or MATLAB
- Experience with Linux-based systems
- Proficiency with electrical design software such as Altium Designer, ADS and SolidWorks
- Strong knowledge of RF air interfaces and multiple access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA and CDMA
- Hands-on experience integrating hardware and software systems
- Programming experience with microcontrollers, FPGAs and SDRs
- Knowledge of communications and networking protocols including IP, TCP/IP, DVB-S/S2/S2X, CCSDS, LoRA, TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, GSE Encapsulation, ZeroMQ, VXLAN tunneling, DHCP, Tailscale and Ethernet
ITAR Requirement
To comply with U.S. Government export control regulations (ITAR), applicants must be: (i) a U.S. citizen or national, (ii) a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) a refugee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1157, or (iv) an asylee under 8 U.S.C. Section 1158. Individuals who do not meet these criteria must be eligible to obtain necessary authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Location
Chantilly, VA