Principal RF Payload Lead Engineer

Principal RF Payload Lead Engineer

Skylo is hiring a Principal RF Payload Lead Engineer, who will be responsible for the end-to-end architecture, design, development, and on-orbit performance of advanced RF communications payloads enabling direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity from LEO spacecraft. The Principal RF Payload Lead owns the complete technical solution—from requirements definition and system architecture through hardware delivery, integration, testing, and mission operations support—of a space-qualified phased-array payload integrated with cellular networks and deployed at constellation scale.

This role can be performed remotely with a preference for candidates located in Mountain View, CA, where we are onsite three days per week.

Skylo is a global Non-Terrestrial Network service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows smartphone and IoT cellular devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Skylo's direct-to-device service is now live on millions of activated devices across five continents, with more than 60 million square kilometers of coverage, in partnership with multiple satellite operators, mobile network operators (MNOs), Tier-1 chipset makers, and OEMs.

Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylo's commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3

GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo provides an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. Our focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows across three main verticals: mass-market consumer devices, automotive, and industrial IoT.

Skylo is looking for an individual who will define and own the RF payload architecture for direct-to-device services on LEO spacecraft, including phased-array antennas, RF front ends, frequency planning, and waveform selection aligned with cellular standards. The individual will lead the design, analysis, and optimization of phased-array antennas for LEO missions, including beam forming strategies, scan performance, EIRP/G/T, ground coverage optimization, and handover considerations.

The individual will own end-to-end RF and communications link design for LEO space-to-ground cellular connectivity, including link budgets, modulation and coding schemes, Doppler impacts, interference analysis, and regulatory considerations. The individual will define and manage RF payload interfaces with the spacecraft bus, including power, thermal, structural, EMI/EMC, data interfaces, and command and telemetry. The individual will lead payload-level integration and test, including functional testing, RF performance verification, over-the-air testing of phased arrays, and environmental qualification for launch and the LEO space environment.

The individual will collaborate closely with cellular RAN and core network teams to ensure compatibility with 3

GPP and related standards, including protocol behavior over LEO satellite links and integration with terrestrial networks. The individual will develop and maintain requirements, specifications, and interface control documents (ICDs) for RF payload subsystems and suppliers; lead technical trade studies and formal design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR). The individual will provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams (RF, antennas, digital, baseband, and software) and manage external vendors delivering RF and phased-array hardware.

The individual will support mission operations and constellation deployment, including payload checkout, on-orbit commissioning, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting of RF and communications anomalies.

Skylo is looking for a candidate with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field with emphasis on RF, communications, or electromagnetics. The candidate should have 8–10+ years of experience in RF and communications systems engineering, including development of LEO satellite communications payloads or space-based RF systems. The candidate should have demonstrated experience designing and delivering phased-array or electronically steered antenna systems, including architecture, modeling, beamforming, calibration, and test.

The candidate should have hands-on experience across the full RF payload lifecycle: requirements definition, design, hardware bring-up, integration, environmental testing, and flight delivery. The candidate should have a strong background in analog and digital RF design, including LNAs, PAs, frequency conversion, filtering, and end-to-end link analysis for high-performance communication systems. The candidate should be proficient with RF simulation and analysis tools (system-level and EM solvers) and laboratory RF test equipment (VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators).

The candidate should have deep knowledge of cellular communications systems (e.g., 4G LTE, 5G , or similar), including waveforms,…