Senior RF Radar Engineer I (SAR)

Location: Long Beach, California, United States; based at hirify.global's global headquarters

Salary: $132,000–$198,000 USD base pay annually.

Company

hirify.global is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems for commercial, exploration, national security, and defense missions.

What you will do

• Lead development of space-based radar systems through architecture, prototyping, integration, testing, calibration, and flight development.
• Define radar performance requirements, link budgets, payload design trades, radar modes, timing, PRF selection, and RF chain architecture.
• Perform radar analyses covering range/Doppler resolution, SNR, ambiguity, interference, orbital effects, mission orbits, ground tracks, and revisit characteristics.
• Develop calibration strategies, image-quality validation methods, test plans, automated test systems, radar GSE, calibration sources, and test fixtures.
• Support spacecraft integration and interfaces with power, thermal, ADCS, data handling, RF, digital, mechanical, structural, and software teams.
• Review proposals and requirements, support PDRs, CDRs, and TRRs, troubleshoot radar performance for customers, and maintain product documentation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with space-based radar systems, including system integration, mission operations, imaging modes, processing, and performance assessment.
• Strong understanding of orbital mechanics and spacecraft systems, including the effect of orbit parameters on radar performance.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft power, thermal, and ADCS subsystems and their impact on radar payload design.
• Strong radar knowledge covering waveform design, pulse compression, and Doppler processing.
• Theoretical and practical understanding of RF systems, including link budgets, linearity, and noise analysis.
• Experience delivering radar/RF systems from requirements through testing for space applications, including range measurements and RF performance characterization.
• Proficiency with radar simulation and orbital analysis tools such as MATLAB, STK, or custom software.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements; ability to obtain and maintain a DoD TS/SCI clearance is required.

Nice to have

• Existing DoD TS/SCI clearance.
• Extensive experience in space-grade radar system design and environmental testing.
• Knowledge of advanced SAR techniques, including GMTI, InSAR, and polarimetry, for space platforms.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced environment focused on hard work, innovation, teamwork, tight deadlines, and delivering under pressure.
• Company stock, an Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount, and a 401(k) plan with company match.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage; HSA contribution; flexible spending and dependent care accounts.
• Paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance.
• Additional perks include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers where available, gym memberships, snacks and beverages, and employee discounts.
• The role may involve prolonged sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.