RF/Electrical Engineer

About the role

Lynk is pioneering a new era of connectivity where your standard phone becomes a satellite terminal, bringing mobile broadband to every corner of the globe. As an RF/Electrical Engineer here, you will own the full lifecycle of our nanosatellite communications payload, from initial concept and simulation to final integration and in-orbit validation. You will analyze and optimize link budgets, design critical hardware components, and iterate on prototypes to ensure robust performance in the harshest environments. This role demands creative problem-solving as you tackle unconventional challenges in radio frequency and satellite communications. You will work directly with the core technologies that allow us to send and receive text messages from space using unmodified mobile devices. Your contributions will directly support Lynk's mission of connecting the next 5 billion people who currently lack reliable internet access.

Key facts

What you'll do

Support the design, development, and testing of spacecraft payload hardware, including single-board computers, software-defined radios, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, low-noise amplifiers, and filters.

Contribute to the selection and conceptual design of nanosatellite antenna technologies to ensure optimal coverage and performance.

Develop detailed link budget analyses and perform complex simulations to size systems for coverage, capacity, and traffic engineering.

Perform RF system design and dimensioning, including coverage planning, frequency planning, and thorough interference analysis with mitigation strategies.

Support the integration, testing, delivery, and acceptance of spacecraft payloads with internal teams and external launch or bus partners.

Design and plan ground-based payload testing configurations to validate communications performance in both laboratory and eventual in-orbit conditions.

Interface closely with the Systems Engineering team to inform and refine constellation and network architecture based on RF communications payload performance data.

Perform bench-level mechatronics work, including the testing, integration, assembly, programming, and prototyping of electronics hardware and software.

Conduct some software-based systems engineering analysis to support performance modeling and trade studies.

Create, update, and maintain comprehensive technical documentation for all aspects of payload design, development, and test procedures.

Collaborate effectively in both independent and team-based environments, communicating findings and solutions clearly to diverse stakeholders.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree or better in RF or Electrical Engineering is required for this position.

Candidates must have demonstrable experience working on projects that develop space payload hardware and software, with a preference for prior communications systems experience.

Applicants should possess hands-on experience with software-defined radios, antennas, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, SoCs, single-board computers, and microcontrollers.

Programming proficiency in one or more languages such as C++, C, Python, or MATLAB is essential for success in this role.

Experience working with Linux based operating systems is a strict requirement for this position.

Familiarity with VHDL or Verilog and development on Altera or Xilinx FPGAs is highly desired for advanced design work.

Proficiency with electrical design software, specifically Altium, is considered a plus for hardware development tasks.

A strong knowledge and understanding of RF air interfaces and their use of multiple access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, CDMA, and others is highly desired.

Hands-on experience with the integration of hardware and software systems is a desired qualification for this role.

You must be adept with computers, fluent in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX, and very capable with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Project, PowerPoint, and Word.

Hands-on experience with programming microcontrollers and SDRs is a desired skill set for this position.

Knowledge of communications and networking protocols, including but not limited to IP, TCP/IP, SNMP, SDH/SONET, Ethernet, Carrier Grade Ethernet, DSL, SS7, ISDN, Q2931, and B-ISDN, is required.

Practical notes

This role is full-time based in Chantilly, VA.

There is no mention of compensation, travel requirements, visa sponsorship details, or application deadlines in the provided source material.