Staff RF Systems Engineer Verified today

About Northwood

Northwood is a space infrastructure company building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions including national security, global connectivity, and disaster response.

The Role

You will define the products that power Northwood's next-generation ground station network. You translate customer needs and network-level analysis into concrete product definitions: what gets built, how it performs, and how it scales. Working closely with Sites, Business Development, and Engineering leadership, you will aggregate customer demand, shape product direction, and drive alignment on Northwood's market offerings. This is a highly cross-functional, high-leverage position at the intersection of customer requirements, system design, and product execution.

Your Responsibilities

• Translate network-level inputs (capacity, coverage, latency, deployment timing) into concrete product architectures
• Define RF and system-level parameters, including antenna configurations, link performance targets, throughput, and availability requirements
• Develop and iterate on solution architectures using simulation outputs, link budgets, and real-world constraints to ensure technical and operational viability
• Partner with Business Development to shape customer engagements and support proposals
• Drive alignment with Engineering Leadership on system tradeoffs, product direction and roadmap, and deliver execution-ready system definitions

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, physics, or mathematics
• 5-10+ years of experience in systems engineering, solutions architecture, or technical product roles, with demonstrated ownership of complex, cross-functional systems
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Working knowledge of RF systems, ground stations, satellite communications, or related infrastructure
• Proven ability to operate across disciplines (hardware, software, network, operations) and drive alignment across teams
• Excellent communications skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience defining and deploying complex communications, networking, aerospace, or infrastructure systems at scale
• Strong understanding of RF systems, satellite communications, network architecture tradeoffs, and system performance analysis
• Ability to translate customer requirements and operational constraints into scalable technical product definitions and execution-ready architectures
• Experience partnering with customers, business development, and engineering teams to shape proposals, product direction, and roadmap decisions
• Strong systems thinking, technical judgment, and ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams in fast-paced environments

Compensation

Solutions Architect Level 3: $129,582 - $175,317 per year
Solutions Architect Level 4: $153,000 - $207,000 per year
Solutions Architect Level 5: $183,600 - $230,400 per year

Location

Torrance, CA