RF Systems Engineer

Space Systems Integration (SSI) is seeking an RF Systems Engineer in Chantilly, VA, to provide Systems Engineering and Technical Advisory (SETA) services to a Government Intelligence Community (IC) customer. The role involves supporting advanced satellite communications and ground terminal solutions, requiring deep technical expertise in RF systems engineering, SATCOM, and network integration to enable resilient, high-performance communication systems for mission-critical applications.

Requirements

• Perform end-to-end RF systems engineering, including link budget analysis, signal propagation studies, EIRP, G/T calculations, and noise figure optimization.
• Support the design, integration, and validation of SATCOM systems across GEO, MEO, and LEO satellite constellations and waveform technologies.
• Apply knowledge of mesh networking concepts such as dynamic routing, frequency reuse, and latency optimization.
• Design, develop, and integrate ground terminal systems including RF front-ends, BUCs, LNBs, antennas, modems, and related hardware.
• Analyze and optimize waveforms including QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, and Forward Error Correction (FEC) schemes for spectral efficiency and link robustness.
• Apply antenna theory and design principles to phased arrays, parabolic reflectors, flat panel antennas, and systems requiring beam steering, polarization control, and precision tracking.
• Collaborate on network protocol integration, ensuring smooth interoperability between SATCOM and terrestrial TCP/IP, VLAN, and QoS-based infrastructures.
• Operate and interpret results from RF lab test equipment, including spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and related diagnostic tools.
• Utilize Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and digital Intermediate Frequency (IF) architectures in both development and troubleshooting roles.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants