Director, RF Payloads (Space-Based Radar)

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

Base salary: $198,000–$330,000 USD annually. Total compensation, including equity: $268,600–$455,000 USD annually.

Company

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

What you will do

• Lead end-to-end development of space-based radar payloads, from architecture and prototyping through integration, testing, qualification, and flight development.
• Define radar requirements and performance metrics; conduct design trades covering waveforms, antennas, signal processing, orbit selection, mission planning, coverage, and spacecraft impacts.
• Lead analyses of radar equations, clutter, SNR, ambiguity, Doppler behavior, calibration, and image quality for spaceborne systems.
• Direct payload integration with spacecraft bus systems, including power, thermal, structural, attitude, and data-handling interfaces.
• Lead RF/radar test campaigns, develop GSE and calibration approaches, and support anomaly resolution and mission operations.
• Manage and mentor multidisciplinary RF, digital, mechanical, thermal, structural, and software engineering teams; support proposals, customer interfaces, and SRR, PDR, CDR, and TRR reviews.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field and 12+ years of relevant experience.
• Extensive hands-on experience developing and delivering radar systems from requirements through mission operations, including complex spaceborne radar payload programs.
• Deep knowledge of SAR imaging modes, including stripmap, spotlight, ScanSAR, and TOPS, and related processing algorithms for space-based platforms.
• Experience with space-based radar systems in LEO, MEO, or GEO configurations and expert knowledge of orbital mechanics, revisit time, coverage, and resolution.
• Expert understanding of waveform design, pulse compression, Doppler processing, clutter mitigation, radar equation modeling, and radar payload performance.
• Strong knowledge of spacecraft design principles, including power systems, thermal control, attitude determination and control, structural interfaces, and data handling.
• Experience testing radar payloads using EIRP, sensitivity, range-Doppler response, and image-quality metrics, as well as launch-environment requirements and space qualification processes.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-management experience.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to program requirements; candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance.

Nice to have

• Existing TS/SCI clearance and advanced SAR experience, including GMTI, InSAR, polarimetry, or bistatic SAR.
• Knowledge of radar image processing, autofocus, exploitation tools, digital beamforming, and phased-array radar systems.
• Experience with space-grade hardware, mission assurance, parts selection, COTS radar components, and qualification testing.
• Knowledge of radar licensing, frequency coordination, ITU regulations, and spectrum management.
• Experience with ground-segment development, constellation and multi-satellite architectures, launch-vehicle integration, and orbital insertion strategies.
• Experience with FMECA, reliability and worst-case analysis, radiation effects, project management, or earned value management; publications or patents in space-based radar are also valued.
• Strong communication and presentation skills for executive leadership and customer audiences.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced, mission-focused environment emphasizing innovation, teamwork, resilience, tight deadlines, and hands-on ownership.
• Employee stock and anticipated annual equity grant; employee stock purchase program with a 15% discount.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans; HSA contribution, flexible spending and dependent-care accounts, disability and life insurance.
• Paid vacation, sick time, 11 paid holidays, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) plan with company match.
• Additional benefits include subsidized EV charging, fitness and gym programs, 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.