Principal Engineer (RF and Optical Systems)

Location: Onsite in the Greater Seattle Area, Washington; a temporary remote work exception is available while the local site is developed. Relocation assistance is available, and travel may be required up to 25% of the time.

Base pay for Washington applicants: $332,694–$465,771.60 annually.

Company

hirify.global develops reusable space vehicles and space-based systems, including TeraWave, a satellite communications network using LEO and MEO optical interconnects.

What you will do

• Own the integration and verification architecture and strategy for TeraWave RF and optical payloads, terminals, links, and ground segments.
• Lead cross-functional system integration, bring-up, troubleshooting, and test campaigns across hardware, RF, antenna, optical, modem/DSP, software, networking, and systems engineering teams.
• Direct RF, optical, PHY, MAC, and network-layer verification, including link budgets, BER/BLER, data rates, beam formation, pointing, tracking, handover, and continuity.
• Design high-fidelity hardware-in-the-loop frameworks that emulate orbital dynamics, delay, Doppler, tracking, handovers, and real-time kinematics.
• Lead automated verification pipelines, test-vector generation, instrument abstraction, data reduction, and analysis using Python, C/C++, and MATLAB/Simulink.
• Direct lab, chamber, ground-station, and mobile test infrastructure roadmaps; lead anomaly investigations and support on-orbit commissioning and flight operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in RF and/or optical communications system integration, testing, and verification for complex hardware/software systems.
• End-to-end I&V experience spanning requirements and ConOps, design and simulation, lab/chamber verification, HITL emulation, and field or on-orbit validation.
• Hands-on experience with RF test equipment, link budgets, modem and PHY performance metrics, and anechoic chamber, CATR, or OTA methodologies.
• Proficiency with Python and MATLAB/Simulink, working knowledge of C/C++ and Linux-based test and networking environments, and experience with 3GPP NTN or satellite communications.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, U.S. permanent residents, or lawfully admitted refugees or asylees.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree or PhD and 10+ years of experience with mission-critical communications systems.
• Experience with software-defined radios, phased arrays, optical transceivers, free-space optical terminals, acquisition, pointing, and tracking.
• Experience with satellite bring-up, on-orbit commissioning, constellation-scale verification, GNSS simulators, hexapods, precision timing, and digital-twin frameworks.
• Publications, patents, or participation in 3GPP, IEEE, AIAA, or CCSDS standards bodies.

Culture & Benefits

• Safety, collaboration, inclusion, and technical excellence are emphasized.
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, and paid parental leave.
• 401(k) with company matching of up to 5% and an Education Support Program.
• Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week.
• Up to four weeks of paid time off and up to 14 company-paid holidays.