Principal RF Payload Systems Engineer

Location: Longmont, Colorado, United States

Company

hirify.global develops precision-engineered antenna systems, thermal management solutions, and mission-critical technologies for aerospace, defence, radar, electronic warfare, and C5ISR applications.

What you will do

• Lead communications payload architecture and design for GEO, MEO, and LEO satellite missions.
• Translate mission requirements into technical specifications, system requirements, verification plans, interface documents, and compliance matrices.
• Conduct payload trade studies, link-budget analysis, EIRP and G/T budgeting, coverage and capacity assessments, and mission performance modelling.
• Evaluate RF hardware, suppliers, subcontractors, technical documentation, design maturity, performance risks, and implementation approaches.
• Support payload integration, verification, validation, environmental qualification, spacecraft-level testing, launch preparation, commissioning, anomaly investigations, and in-orbit operations.
• Collaborate with spacecraft bus, thermal, mechanical, electrical, software, antenna, AIT, and mission operations teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years' 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.
• Strong understanding of satellite subsystems, spacecraft systems engineering, RF communications systems, payload architectures, and satellite communications system design.
• Experience with payload and system-level trade studies, payload development, integration, testing, and operational phases.
• Knowledge of spacecraft resource management, including power, thermal, mass, and volume constraints; payload integration and verification; and performance budgeting.
• Experience with active payload hardware such as TWTAs, SSPAs, LNAs, converters, and local oscillators; reflector-based and deployable reflector antennas; digital payloads; digital beamforming; and phased-array antenna systems.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, STK, or equivalent engineering analysis tools, plus Microsoft Office, Visio, and engineering documentation tools.
• Must provide proof of US citizenship or lawful permanent residency to comply with ITAR requirements. Must pass drug screening and criminal background checks.

Nice to have

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

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent, full-time employment in a multidisciplinary engineering environment.
• Culture centred on integrity, initiative, impact, integration, ownership, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Three weeks of paid time off and ten paid company-observed holidays.
• 401(k) employer matching, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, and short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Continuing education reimbursement, employee referral programme, birthday incentives, and work anniversary incentives.