Senior RF Front-End Design Engineer - Satellite User Terminals

• RF architecture and delivery. Own front-end designs from system requirements and architecture through schematic capture, PCB layout, prototype bring-up, verification, and production release.
• Transmit and receive chains. Develop chains using power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, filters, duplexers, diplexers, switches, couplers, attenuators, mixers, synthesizers, transceivers, and frequency-conversion devices.
• Link and cascade analysis. Translate link budgets into specifications for output power, sensitivity, noise figure, gain, linearity, dynamic range, bandwidth, EVM, adjacent-channel performance, phase noise, spurious emissions, and efficiency. Analyze P1dB, IP3, compression, and link margin.
• Circuit and PCB design. Design matching, bias, stability, detector, and protection circuits. Select components based on performance, power, thermal behavior, size, availability, cost, manufacturability, and reliability. Review controlled-impedance stackups, grounding, shielding, isolation, placement, and RF routing.
• Duplexing and coexistence. Develop architectures for TDD, FDD, or simultaneous transmit and receive as required. Assess transmitter leakage, receiver desensitization, harmonics, intermodulation, oscillator leakage, switching noise, and digital interference.
• Terminal integration. Integrate the front end with the antenna, modem, baseband processor, ADC/DAC, firmware, power system, enclosure, and thermal solution. Resolve electrical and mechanical interfaces with partner teams.
• Characterization and optimization. Use VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, noise-figure analyzers, oscilloscopes, and communications analyzers to measure gain, sensitivity, output power, EVM, ACPR/ACLR, spurious performance, stability, and efficiency.
• Production and environmental readiness. Correlate simulation with measurement, drive corrective actions, support applicable environmental testing, and develop production calibration, test limits, automated methods, and manufacturing verification strategies.

• Decisive ownership. Turn requirements into clear design decisions, test plans, and acceptance criteria, and close issues through verified results.
• System-level thinking. Consider antenna, modem, power, thermal, digital, and enclosure effects when evaluating RF performance and design tradeoffs.
• Direct collaboration. Communicate technical risks and schedule impacts early, coordinate interfaces, and make recommendations understandable to both specialists and system teams.
• Reliable execution. Build repeatable design and validation practices and share knowledge with engineers and technicians.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Typically 7+ years of hands-on RF or microwave hardware design experience.
• Experience taking RF front-end hardware from requirements through production release.
• Strong understanding of transmit/receive architectures, matching, gain, noise figure, linearity, stability, dynamic range, and filtering.
• Experience with ADS, AWR, or equivalent RF simulation tools, schematic capture, RF PCB layout review, prototype bring-up, debugging, and characterization.
• Experience with PAs, LNAs, filters, switches, mixers, synthesizers, transceivers, or related RF components.
• Hands-on experience using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, and other RF laboratory equipment.
• Ability to correlate simulated and measured results, resolve RF performance problems systematically, and communicate across disciplines.
• Preferred: satellite communication terminals, modem-to-antenna signal chains, PA or receiver optimization, TDD/FDD isolation, coexistence, EMI/EMC, automated RF test, and production experience.

The RF front end meets approved terminal link and RF requirements with measured performance that supports system integration; risks and discrepancies are resolved; and production calibration and test methods provide repeatable, reliable hardware.