{"id":562921,"url":"https://alion.io/job/northwood-space-staff-rf-systems-engineer","title":"RF Systems Architect","company":{"id":6433,"name":"Northwood Space","domain":"northwoodspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/northwoodspace","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":82,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.714,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":54,"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","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":148000,"max":225000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":225000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-23T03:28:26Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-23","last_verified_at":"2026-10-27T07:30:31Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":65,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":65},"description":"About Northwood:\nNorthwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.\nRole:\nNorthwood is building a global network of next-generation ground stations, and we’re looking for an RF Systems Architect to define the products that power that network. You will translate customer needs and network-level analysis into concrete product definitions - what we build, how it performs, and how it scales. You will work closely with Sites, Business Development, and Engineering leadership to aggregate demand across customers, shape product direction, and drive alignment on what Northwood brings to market. This role is highly cross-functional and high-leverage, sitting at the intersection of customer requirements, system design, and product execution / evolution.\nResponsibilities:\nTranslate network-level inputs (capacity, coverage, latency, deployment timing) into concrete product architectures.\n\nDefine RF and system-level parameters, including antenna configurations, link performance targets, throughput, and availability requirements.\n\nDevelop and iterate on solution architectures using simulation outputs, link budgets, and real-world constraints to ensure technical and operational viability.\n\nPartner with Business Development to shape customer engagements and support proposals.\n\nDrive alignment with Engineering Leadership on system tradeoffs, product direction and roadmap, and deliver clear, execution-ready system definitions.\n\nBasic Qualifications:\nBachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, physics, or mathematics.\n\n5-10+ years of experience in systems engineering, solutions architecture, or technical product roles, with demonstrated ownership of complex, cross-functional systems.\n\nAbility to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.\n\nWorking knowledge of RF systems, ground stations, satellite communications, or related infrastructure.\n\nProven ability to operate across disciplines (hardware, software, network, operations) and drive alignment across teams.\n\nExcellent communications skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities.\n\nPreferred Qualifications:\nExperience defining and deploying complex communications, networking, aerospace, or infrastructure systems at scale\n\nStrong understanding of RF systems, satellite communications, network architecture tradeoffs, and system performance analysis\n\nAbility to translate customer requirements and operational constraints into scalable technical product definitions and execution-ready architectures\n\nExperience partnering with customers, business development, and engineering teams to shape proposals, product direction, and roadmap decisions\n\nStrong systems thinking, technical judgment, and ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams in fast-paced environments\n\nCompensation:\nSolutions Architect /Level 3: $129,582 - $175,317 per year\nSolutions Architect/Level 4: $153,000 - $207,000 per year\nSolutions Architect/Level 5: $183,600 - $230,400 per year\nAdditional Information:\nIf you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.\nTo conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.\nNorthwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood 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":4502,"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":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Satellite Communications","Ground Systems"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-09T07:05:12Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":43,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.775,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":65,"expected_fill_days":54,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":225000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/northwood-space-staff-rf-systems-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/northwood-space-staff-rf-systems-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-27T10:52:23Z","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":12743,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-28T00:00:00Z"}},"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":6433},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=6433"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fnorthwood-space-staff-rf-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%2Fnorthwood-space-staff-rf-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%2Fnorthwood-space-staff-rf-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/northwood-space-staff-rf-systems-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fnorthwood-space-staff-rf-systems-engineer"}]}