Senior RF Design Engineer - Pipeline

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

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At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

We are currently seeking a Senior RF Design Engineer I based onsite at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA. The Senior RF Design Engineer will be responsible for supporting the development of new RF products including Rocket Lab’s radio product line alongside the radio development team. The Senior RF Design Engineer will design and simulate RF products including the Frontier-Lite Radio.

The successful candidate will have a strong combination of RF engineering, system design, and board/circuit design skills and will thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Product Development

• Define and maintain requirements specifications
• Support the development process, ensuring key design decisions and developments are in alignment with the required product capabilities
• Design and prototype the RF product including component selection and PCB layout / fabrication / packaging
• Support the development of test plans and procedures
• Support the design and development of GSE and production automation
• Support the development of product documentation including ICDs and User Manuals
• Liaise with Test Engineers and Manufacturing Engineers to drive New Product Introduction

Customer/Program Support

• Review proposals and requirements specifications to assess compliance based on existing unit capabilities vs development needs
• Scope and drive development activities for new requirements
• Support engineering reviews such as PDRs, CDRs and TRRs
• Provide technical support to internal/external customers including general questions and anomaly troubleshooting
• Maintain broad awareness of product development and production schedules to ensure the needs of customers and programs are satisfied

• Bachelors degree in electrical engineering, RF communications (or other engineering degree) and 5+ years of relevant experience
• Fundamental RF knowledge including cascaded device analysis, link budget analysis, and HFSS
• Experience in developing and delivering a RF product including assessing requirements, prototyping engineering models, and producing space worthy products.
• A solid theoretical and practical understanding of RF communications and navigation systems and components
• U.S. Citizenship is required due to program requirements
• Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance

• Extensive experience in space grade board design including parts selection and performance simulation
• Extensive experience in circuit analyses including worst case, reliability, FMECA, thermal, and derating analyses
• Extensive experience supporting and leading complex engineering programs and developing associated…