{"id":1986696,"url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-rf-avionics-systems-engineer","title":"RF Avionics Systems Engineer","company":{"id":171840,"name":"K2 Space","domain":"k2space.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/k2-space","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":85,"open_postings":195,"ghost_share":0.159,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":88,"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":null,"employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Los Angeles, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":100000,"max":150000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":150000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Keysight ADS","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-07T02:02:46Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-07","last_verified_at":"2026-10-11T00:25:05Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":4,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":3},"description":"K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price - and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.\nThe rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today's and tomorrow's massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.\nWith multiple launches in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger - helping develop the solar system and build toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.\nThe Role \nYou will be responsible for the component management, system integration and operation of radiofrequency (RF) electronics across some of the biggest, most powerful, rapidly designed and rapidly manufactured satellites ever deployed in space. In your first 6 months you will develop, design, own, test, and integrate new RF and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), including radios, antennas, and other hardware. You will work with a team of fellow RF, FPGA, software, mechanical, and electrical engineers in order to develop your RF systems and execute environmental and performance testing to refine your designs. In your first year, you will have flown your RF systems in space and downlinked critical mission and payload data. Following this, you will enhance system reliability and begin designing even more capable RF systems for future generations of large and powerful spacecraft. \nResponsibilities \nOversee all technical and programmatic aspects of the RF systems that fly on the satellite, including but not limited to telemetry, command, and GNSS radios, antennas, and link budgets from UHF through Ka-band \nServe as responsible engineer for flight hardware from design through integration and operations on orbit \nOwn acceptance and qualification screening of your hardware design(s) through environmental testing such as vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum testing \nWork with internal (mechanical, electrical, integration, test, and software engineers) and external (vendors) stakeholders to integrate your designs into the spacecraft systems and operate your hardware in flight \nOwn FCC licensing and ground segment compatibility testing and coordination \nLead vehicle integration and testing efforts to ensure hardware reliability and deconfliction with payload customers \nQualifications \nBachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field \n1+ years of experience in microwave / RF engineering \nFundamental RF knowledge including familiarity with crafting RF link budgets and doing antenna placement planning \nFamiliarity with Python or MATLAB \nExperience with RF test equipment such as vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzer, etc. \nAbility to work in a fast-paced and high velocity start-up atmosphere \nNice to Have \nExperience with flying hardware in space and creating/maintaining link budgets \nEnd to end testing with flight hardware, software, and ground station providers \nExperience with environmental testing for space electronics such as thermal, vibration, TVAC, radiation, and EMI/EMC testing per standards such as SMC-S-016 \nExperience with RF modeling and analysis software tools such as Ansys Electronics Desktop HFSS, Altair FEKO, Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR Microwave Office \nFamiliar with software defined radio development including data converters (digital to analog and analog to digital converters), clock trees, data converter interfaces, and sampling concepts \nFamiliarity with digital communications systems & theory, including spread spectrum, forward error correction, and modulation types such as BPSK, QAM, etc. \nAbility to research novel solutions for unique large-scale satellite RF systems including but not limited to satellite communications and electronic warfare \nCompensation and Benefits: \nBase salary range for this role is $100,000 - $150,000 + equity in the company \nSalary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level \nComprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks \nIf you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!\nIf you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.\nExport Compliance\nAs defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”\nThe person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.\nEqual Opportunity\nK2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6501,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space & Aerospace","Satellite Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-07T02:46:47Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":3,"expected_fill_days":88,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-10T05:45:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":150000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-rf-avionics-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-rf-avionics-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-11T03:38:37Z","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","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1476,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":3524,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-12T00:00:00Z"}},"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":171840},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=171840"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fk2-space-rf-avionics-systems-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%2Fk2-space-rf-avionics-systems-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%2Fk2-space-rf-avionics-systems-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/k2-space-rf-avionics-systems-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fk2-space-rf-avionics-systems-engineer"}]}