{"id":2230014,"url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-senior-rf-engineer","title":"Senior RF Engineer","company":{"id":3910291,"name":"Fortastra","domain":"fortastra.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/fortastra","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":null},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Torrance, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":130000,"max":200000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":200000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-24T21:15:51Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-09","last_verified_at":"2026-10-13T08:53:20Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":18,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":18},"description":"Company Overview\nFortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale.\nOur culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. We expect leaders to think systemically, act decisively, and take ownership of mission outcomes. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.\nWe recently closed a $30M Series A to build the future of on-orbit security and we’re just getting started!\nOur Engineering Team\nYou’ll join Fortastra’s Engineering Division. The RF and communications function is responsible for getting data to and from our vehicles and between them in orbit. This includes spacecraft TT&C links to the ground, crosslinks between vehicles, and RF payloads that enable resilient operations in contested environments.\nThe Role\nFortastra is seeking a Senior RF Engineer to own the end to end design and implementation of RF communications systems for our spacecraft. You will be responsible for TT&C links to the ground as well as RF crosslinks between vehicles, including architecture, link budgets, radio selection or design, and antenna integration.\nThis is a hands-on, system-level role that spans analysis, hardware selection, and integration. You will define RF architectures, perform detailed link analyses, select and integrate COTS radios or design custom solutions where needed, and ensure that our communications systems perform reliably in orbit. Experience with electronic warfare payloads, FPGA-based signal processing, or antenna design is highly desirable.\nKey Responsibilities\nOwn the RF architecture for spacecraft TT&C and crosslink communications, from concept through flight.\nPerform detailed link budget analysis for space to ground links and inter-satellite links, including margin assessments and sensitivity to environment and geometry.\nSelect, architect, and integrate radios for TT&C and crosslinks, combining COTS hardware with custom designs where required.\nDefine and implement communications schemes using common space protocols such as CCSDS and DVB-S2.\nDevelop system level RF requirements, interface definitions, and performance budgets for radios, antennas, and front-end hardware.\nWork with mechanical and systems engineers to design antenna placements, mounting, and panel integration, and to account for pointing, blockage, and thermal constraints.\nSupport antenna selection or design, including trades on patterns, gain, polarization, and frequency bands.\nCollaborate with digital, FPGA, and software teams to implement waveforms, modulation, coding, and EW related algorithms in firmware and software.\nSupport or lead RF test activities including bench characterization, over-the-air tests, and system level validation of links in relevant environments.\nContribute to resilience in contested environments by informing or developing EW related capabilities where appropriate.\nQualifications and Skills\nB.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a closely related field.\n5+ years of experience in RF system design for spacecraft, satellite communications, defense communications, or similar high-reliability RF systems.\nStrong experience performing link budget analysis for RF communication systems, including space to ground and preferably crosslinks.\nFamiliarity with common space communications protocols and standards such as CCSDS and DVB-S2.\nExperience with RF hardware selection and system integration, including radios, LNAs, PAs, filters, and related front-end components.\nExperience with one or more RF design and analysis tools (for example STK, SystemVue, MATLAB, or similar) for link analysis and system trades.\nExperience with antenna design or integration is a strong plus, including understanding of antenna patterns, gain, and polarization.\nExperience with FPGA based implementation of RF or EW algorithms is a plus.\nExposure to electronic warfare, RF signal analysis, or payload development is highly desirable.\nAbility to work across disciplines with mechanical, digital, software, and systems engineers to deliver integrated RF solutions.\nRequirements\n5 days on-site in Torrance, CA\nU.S. Citizenship required\n\nWhy Fortastra\nWe are a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.\nFORTASTRA TALENT & CULTURE PRINCIPLES\nValues Driven by First Principles\nWe value engineers and operators who prioritize sound judgment, candor, technical rigor, bias for action, and intellectual honesty over corporate consensus. We care about the caliber of the system you build and the speed at which you solve problems.\nTalent Density Over Headcount\nA high-performing startup is built on dense talent, not organizational bloat. A single exceptional engineer designs, tests, and delivers faster than a bloated committee. We intentionally maintain a lean, elite engineering crew where every contributor directly moves the needle on the mission. \nHigh Autonomy, High Ownership\nWe hire domain experts to execute, not to micromanage them. You own your systems end-to-end, from initial architecture and hardware design to testing and deployment. With absolute ownership comes the responsibility to deliver mission critical reliability. \nMission Context Over Bureaucracy\nThe best execution happens when teams are provided clear technical objectives, constraints, and operational context, rather than rigid top-down policies. We strip away red tape so builders can iterate, make decisions, and push hardware and flight software forward rapidly. \nDisciplined Speed & Flight Rigor\nWe move fast because we test often and kill artificial bottlenecks, not because we cut corners. Rapid iteration on the test stand and in simulation is how we learn; an uncompromising flight-readiness bar is how we earn trust. Precision without friction, speed without recklessness.\nDirect Impact, Not Career Bureaucracy\nYou don’t come to Fortastra to climb a corporate ladder or manage slide decks; you come to build complex, flight-ready systems from day one. Growth here is organic, driven by the magnitude of technical challenges you solve and the trust you build across the team. \nBenefits\nWe take care of our employees so they can focus on what matters most: family, well-being, and life outside of work.\nUnlimited Paid Time Off so that you have the time you need to rest and recharge.\nComprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, because peace of mind starts with feeling cared for.\nEquity: Share in Fortastra's success with equity in the company you're helping build.\n401(k): A 401(k) plan to help you invest in your future and plan for what's ahead.\nSocial Events: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities that make this a place people are glad to be part of.\nThe pay range for this role is $130,000.00 - $200,000.00. Where an offer falls within that range depends on factors like your qualifications, experience, location, and interview performance, which we weigh against the market rate for the position.\nRecruiters & Agencies: Fortastra does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruiters, agencies, or third parties. Any candidate submitted without a signed agreement and prior written authorization from Fortastra will not be subject to any fee, and no relationship is implied. Please do not contact Fortastra employees, hiring managers, or recruiting team directly.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7786,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Satellite Manufacturing","Space Defense"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-10T19:41:07Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":70,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.774,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":18,"expected_fill_days":37,"reasons":["conf:0","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-13T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":200000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-senior-rf-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/fortastra-senior-rf-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-13T10:36:45Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":16270,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-14T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3910291},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3910291"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Ffortastra-senior-rf-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Ffortastra-senior-rf-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Ffortastra-senior-rf-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/fortastra-senior-rf-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Ffortastra-senior-rf-engineer"}]}