Director, Radar Payload (Space-Based Radar)

Location: Long Beach, California, United States; based at hirify.global's global headquarters and intended for candidates seeking to work in US offices.

Base salary: $198,000–$297,000 USD annually. Total compensation including equity: $268,600–$422,000 USD annually.

Company

hirify.global is an end-to-end space company developing rockets, spacecraft, precision payloads, and critical subsystems for commercial, civil, and national security missions.

What you will do

• Lead the end-to-end development of space-based radar payloads, including architecture, prototyping, integration, testing, and flight development.
• Define payload requirements and performance metrics, conduct radar design trades, and optimize waveform, antenna, and signal-processing architectures.
• Lead radar analyses covering orbital performance, radar equations, clutter, SNR, ambiguity resolution, Doppler behavior, calibration, and image quality.
• Direct payload integration with spacecraft power, thermal, structural, attitude-control, and data-handling systems.
• Lead mission planning, ground-track and coverage analysis, test campaigns, and RF/radar qualification activities.
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary engineering teams and interface with customers, government agencies, and mission stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field, with 12+ years of relevant experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience developing and delivering radar systems from requirements through mission operations, including space-based SAR payloads.
• Deep knowledge of SAR imaging modes, processing algorithms, waveform design, pulse compression, Doppler processing, and clutter mitigation.
• Experience with LEO, MEO, or GEO radar missions; orbital mechanics; spacecraft power, thermal, attitude-control, and data-handling systems.
• Proven leadership and team-management experience, including complex spaceborne radar payload development programs and payload testing.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements, and the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance is required.

Nice to have

• Existing TS/SCI clearance and advanced SAR experience, including GMTI, InSAR, polarimetry, or bistatic SAR.
• Experience with digital beamforming, phased-array radar, radar image processing, autofocus, and exploitation tools.
• Experience with space-grade hardware, mission assurance, parts selection, qualification testing, and radar licensing or spectrum management.
• Experience with ground-segment development, constellation design, launch-vehicle integration, reliability analysis, or earned value management.
• Publications or patents in space-based radar technology and experience presenting to executive leadership or customers.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced environment focused on building real space hardware and delivering ambitious missions.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, including HMO, PPO, and zero-cost HDHP options with HSA contributions.
• Paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) with company match.
• Employee stock purchase program with a 15% discount and company equity as part of total compensation.
• Additional benefits include subsidized EV charging, fitness and gym discounts, snacks and beverages, and employee discounts.