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Senior RF Engineer

Planet
San Francisco, California
Full Time
Posted September 11, 2025
$163k - $203k
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Application opens on company website

Job Description

The role involves designing, developing, and testing advanced RF and microwave communication systems for satellite hardware, including transceivers and antennas, to enhance satellite data transmission capabilities for Planet's imaging constellation.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop next-generation onboard and ground radios and antenna systems for satellite communications.
  • Design, simulate, and test RF and microwave transceivers, antennas, and communication systems up to 30GHz.
  • Conduct environmental and EMC testing on communication subsystems for flight readiness.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address design challenges and ensure system integration.
  • Validate and verify radio and antenna performance pre-shipment and on orbit.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
  • 6 years of engineering experience designing and maturing RF microwave systems, transceivers, antennas, and/or SDRs to market, with the ability to review low-level design decisions and understand their impact on the larger system mission
  • Proficiency in RF microwave, electromagnetics, and signal processing
  • Experience successfully owning, designing, and criticizing RF microwave circuit design, RF microwave layout, component selection, and evaluation
  • Extensive lab experience with RF microwave and mixed-signal devices, including board bring-up, characterization, and testing
  • Ability to adapt and learn a multitude of skills to develop and contribute to the design of complex systems such as active RF circuits, integrated transceivers, PLL synthesizers, mixers, switches, RF amplifiers, oscillators, detectors, filters, ADCs, DACs, microprocessors, and FPGAs for space and ground station applications
  • Excellent documentation, presentation, and communication skills
  • Application of EMI testing and mitigation techniques, environmental testing, and readiness for flight qualification
  • Ownership of RF/MW hardware transceiver and circuit design up to 30GHz, including simulation with Spice and ADS, instrumentation, testing, and characterization
  • Design, simulation, and testing of antennas and optical communication systems, including link budgets and interference analysis
  • Experience with digital communications theory and associated signal processing algorithms for both narrowband and wideband data transmission systems
  • Experience with Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms and signal processing libraries such as GNURadio
  • Validation and verification of radios and antennas pre-shipment and post-launch performance assessment on orbit
  • Work authorization to access export-controlled information without additional export licensing, as this position requires access to export-controlled information under EAR ITAR regulations

Benefits & Perks

Compensation/salary range: $162,600 - $203,200 USD (US base salary)
Work schedule: Hybrid role requiring at least 3 days per week in San Francisco office
Work environment perks: Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans; Health Savings Account with company contribution; Generous Paid Time Off; 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave; Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP); Home Office Reimbursement; Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement; Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning; Equity; Commuter Benefits (if local to an office); Volunteering Paid Time Off

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