Principal RF Payload Systems Engineer (Satellite Communications)

Location: Longmont, Colorado, United States. Proof of US citizenship or permanent residency is required to comply with ITAR requirements.

Company

hirify.global provides engineered antenna, thermal management, and mission-critical solutions for radar, electronic warfare, and C5ISR applications.

What you will do

• Lead architecture and design of communications payloads for GEO, MEO, and LEO satellite missions.
• Perform system-level trade studies covering payload capacity, coverage, spectral efficiency, mass, power, thermal resources, and mission performance.
• Develop payload block diagrams, interface definitions, requirements, verification plans, CONOPS inputs, and compliance documentation.
• Build engineering tools, simulations, link budgets, EIRP and G/T budgets, conversion gain and loss budgets, and coverage and capacity assessments.
• Evaluate RF hardware and supplier deliverables, supporting technical reviews, procurement, integration, and design maturity assessments.
• Support integration, environmental qualification, spacecraft testing, commissioning, anomaly investigations, and operational performance assessments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in satellite communications, RF systems engineering, payload engineering, or spacecraft systems engineering.
• Experience developing communications payloads for GEO, MEO, and/or LEO satellite systems across design, integration, test, and operational phases.
• Strong knowledge of RF communications, payload architectures, spacecraft systems engineering, resource management, and payload verification.
• Experience with active payload hardware, reflector antennas or DRAs, thermal and power analysis, digital payloads, digital beamforming, or phased-array antenna systems.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, STK, or equivalent engineering analysis tools; ability to pass required drug screening and background checks.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with regenerative payloads, satellite manufacturing, environmental testing, launch campaigns, in-orbit testing, and mission operations.
• Familiarity with technology readiness assessments, risk reduction planning, payload qualification, and antenna tools such as TICRA, GRASP, CST, or HFSS.

Culture & Benefits

• Three weeks of paid time off and ten paid company holidays.
• 401(k) employer match, medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Company-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Continuing education reimbursement and referral program.
• Work in multidisciplinary engineering teams on mission-critical aerospace solutions.