Senior RF Engineer

Are you ready to unleash your technical creativity? Dream, Innovate, Inspire and Empower the next generation to transform humanity through technology and imagination!
As a Sr RF Engineer, you will use your skills and expertise to develop, analyze, test, and certify complex products that drive communication subsystem performance for the Crewed Dream Chaser Spaceplane! The Dream Chaser communication subsystem is a suite of subsystems comprising active and passive RF components, antennas, software-defined radios, and other complex technologies to serve our mission.
Your role will be critical to the Crewed Dream Chaser Spaceplane mission. You will have ownership and accountability of a communication subsystem and its components within the overall suite of communication subsystems. You will demonstrate 'systems thinking' by leading subsystem architectural trades to down-select hardware that satisfies functional, performance, environmental, and safety requirements, to ensure mission success. You will support make vs. buy decisions, manage risks and opportunities, and be responsible for the upfront requirements derivation and allocation to generate component and subsystem-level hardware specifications. You will collaborate closely with industry partners to drive successful development, qualification, and delivery of sub-contracted hardware. You will own communication subsystem hardware throughout its lifecycle, culminating in vehicle-level integration, test, and certification. You will be a contributor to the expansion of human civilization beyond earth!
Sierra Space, based in Louisville, Colorado with operations in Madison, Wisconsin, Durham, North Carolina, and Kennedy Space Center, Florida, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, satellites, propulsion and environmental systems, spacecraft subsystems and components for the U.S. government (including NASA), commercial customers and international organizations. Learn more about Sierra Space
Must-haves:

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related Engineering discipline and typically 10 or more years of relevant experience
• Higher-level degree may substitute for relevant experience
• Related experience may be considered in lieu of required education
• Thorough understanding of RF engineering principles and best practices
• Progressive experience working in multi-disciplinary design & development teams
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Knowledge of requirements management, functional requirements parsing, derivation, and allocation; systems integration, technical risk identification and management strategies, and Verification and Validation (V&V) principles
• Experience with aircraft, launch vehicle, or spacecraft, communication subsystem development and integration
• Experience performing trade studies to support communication subsystem architecture decisions
• Ability to identify technical problems and recommend solutions.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision on projects involving both small and large engineering teams.

Preferred:

• Advanced Engineering degree
• Experience serving as a "Responsible Engineer" (or similar), driving hardware through its lifecycle, including development, qualification, integration & test, verification & validation, and certification
• Experience and understanding of the complexities of electronically steerable arrays (ESAs)
• Understanding of band-specific trade spaces (e.g. S-band, X-band, Ku-band, Ka-band) for RF components
• Experience analyzing and characterizing RF performance of communication components and subsystems, including but not limited to, link budgets, SNR degradation, BER, antenna coverage, cosite interference, etc.

• Experience with technical subcontract management, and management of engineering schedules and milestones

• Experience supporting procurement by identifying best-of-industry suppliers and maintaining impeccable supplier relationships throughout the lifecycle
• Experience supporting refinement of communication subsystem architecture and specifications, including the decomposition of requirements, and development of component and subsystem specifications.
• Experience supporting vehicle build and test as a subsystem expert
• Experience authoring test plans and procedures for verifying operation of subsystem and components during Integration and Test
• Experience effectively developing and delivering technical presentations
• Experience determining root cause and resolving hardware failures and/or anomalies

• Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry, US Department of Defense and/or US Military
• The ability to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance may be required Learn more about the background check process for Security Clearances

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
To conform to U.S. Government international trade regulations, applicant must be a U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.
With 30+ years of proven spaceflight heritage, Sierra Space has provided more than 4,000 space systems, subsystems and components to customers worldwide, and participated in more than 500 missions to space, including to Mars. The company has technology in production and in development to enable space habitats for short- and long-duration space travel, a fleet of Dream Chaser spaceplanes, and the first free-flying commercial space station. Please visit www.sierraspace.com to learn more about Sierra Space, its business areas, capabilities, programs, products and service
Estimated Starting Salary Range: $138,634.92 - $190,623.01
Sierra Space offers annual incentive pay based upon performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
Sierra Space offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 8%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more.
As COVID-19 continues to significantly impact our employees, families and communities, we are taking action to address the increased risk and uncertainty COVID-19 and associated variants pose in the workplace. SNC is committed to supporting our employees while ensuring we continue to meet essential national security needs of our country.
With employee health and safety as our top priority, and as a federal contractor, SNC will continue to require COVID-19 vaccination status for all employees including new hires. In accordance with applicable requirements, all current and newly hired employees who are unvaccinated may be required to adhere to enhanced onsite safety protocols including weekly COVID-19 testing, face coverings, and social distancing.
The status of applicable COVID-19 vaccination requirements are subject to change depending on applicable court orders and the course of ongoing litigation. Candidates may later be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or have an approved exemption.
At Sierra Space, our mission is to dream, innovate, inspire and empower the next generation to transform humanity through technology and imagination. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome our employees to bring their whole selves to their work. Sierra Space is committed to fostering an inclusive, accepting, and diverse environment free of discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Contributions to Sierra Space come in many shapes and styles, and we believe diversity in our workforce fosters new and greater ways to dream, innovate, and inspire.