RF Test Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

RF Test Engineer (Aerospace/RF): Designing and executing test campaigns for satellite RF systems with an accent on payload transmit/receive chains and telemetry links. Focus on building automated test scripts, troubleshooting RF anomalies, and validating system performance for LEO satellite infrastructure.

Location: On-site in Burlingame, California. Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual

Salary: $130K – $150K + Equity

Company

hirify.global is a navigational intelligence company building a high-performance, resilient alternative to GPS using a commercial constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

What you will do

• Design and execute test plans for RF systems, including payload chains and telemetry links.
• Build and maintain RF test setups using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.
• Develop automated test scripts and data capture tools using Python to standardize workflows.
• Analyze RF test data to validate performance and characterize margins.
• Troubleshoot RF anomalies at board, subsystem, and system levels.
• Support environmental testing such as thermal vacuum, vibration, and EMI/EMC.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 3+ years of hands-on RF testing experience, preferably in aerospace, defense, or telecommunications.
• Deep familiarity with RF test equipment including spectrum analyzers and VNAs.
• Strong foundation in RF fundamentals (link budgets, S-parameters, impedance matching).
• Proficiency in Python for test automation and data analysis.
• U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or protected individual status is required for compliance with export regulations.

Nice to have

• Experience testing RF systems in space environments (TVAC, EMI/EMC, vibration).
• Familiarity with satellite communication protocols (CCSDS, DVB-S2, S/C/L-Band).
• Understanding of digital signal processing and RF impairments.
• Experience with GNSS systems and signal acquisition.

Culture & Benefits

• Work directly with flight hardware in a fast-paced, high-impact startup environment.
• Compensation includes both a competitive base salary and equity.
• Opportunity to contribute to the definition of test requirements for a next-generation global positioning system.
• Collaborative environment working across functional teams to shape hardware and software decisions.