Principal Engineer (RF and Optical Systems)

Location: Onsite in the Greater Seattle Area, WA, or Cupertino, CA; temporary remote work may be approved while the local site is developed. Relocation assistance is available, and travel may be required up to 25%.

Base pay: $230,773.00–$323,081.85 annually for CA and WA applicants.

Company

hirify.global develops reusable space vehicles and space-based systems, including TeraWave, a satellite communications network using optically interconnected LEO and MEO satellites.

What you will do

• Own the integration and verification architecture, strategy, requirements traceability, and test automation framework for TeraWave RF and optical payloads, terminals, links, and ground systems.
• Lead cross-functional integration campaigns covering hardware, silicon, RF and antenna systems, optical systems, modems and DSP, flight software, networking, and systems engineering.
• Direct laboratory, chamber, site, and ground-station bring-up, including RF alignment, optical alignment, timing, power, thermal, networking, and antenna infrastructure.
• Verify RF, optical, PHY, MAC, and network performance, including link budgets, BER/BLER, EVM, ACLR, sensitivity, throughput, Doppler, handover, and link continuity.
• Lead high-fidelity hardware-in-the-loop and digital-twin frameworks that emulate orbital dynamics, delay, Doppler, tracking, handovers, and real-time kinematics.
• Direct anomaly investigations, infrastructure roadmaps, on-orbit commissioning, operational handoff, and technical leadership across teams and external partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in RF and/or optical communications system integration, testing, and verification for complex hardware/software systems.
• End-to-end ownership of integration and verification lifecycles, from requirements and simulation through laboratory, chamber, HITL, field, or on-orbit validation.
• Hands-on expertise with RF test equipment, antenna test methodologies, link budgets, modem and PHY performance metrics, and optical communications verification.
• Proficiency with Python and MATLAB/Simulink, working knowledge of C/C++, and experience with Linux-based test and networking environments.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted refugee or asylee.

Nice to have

• Master's degree or PhD in a related engineering field and 10+ years of mission-critical communications verification experience.
• Experience with satellite communications, LEO constellations, non-terrestrial networks, cellular wireless, or terrestrial telecommunications.
• Experience with software-defined radios, phased arrays, optical transceivers, free-space optical terminals, or acquisition, pointing, and tracking systems.
• Experience with 3GPP NTN, satellite bring-up, HITL frameworks, GNSS simulators, precision timing, or large-scale test infrastructure.
• Publications, patents, or participation in standards bodies such as 3GPP, IEEE, AIAA, or CCSDS.

Culture & Benefits

• Safety, collaboration, inclusion, and technical problem-solving are core workplace values.
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, and paid parental leave.
• 401(k) with company matching of up to 5% and an Education Support Program.
• Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week.
• Up to four weeks of paid time off and up to 14 company-paid holidays.