{"id":2091863,"url":"https://alion.io/job/star-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems","title":"Senior Electrical Engineer - RF & Communications Systems","company":{"id":1906176,"name":"Star Catcher","domain":"star-catcher.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/star-catcher","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":["Jacksonville, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":99000,"max_usd":180000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":1396},"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Altium Designer","optional":false},{"name":"Cadence Allegro","optional":false},{"name":"CCSDS","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-08T14:48:45Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-14","last_verified_at":"2026-10-23T03:12:57Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":14,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":14},"description":"Power the future of Space at Star Catcher\nStar Catcher is building the first energy grid in space to power the orbital economy.\nToday’s spacecraft must generate all of their own power, which caps what they can do and how long they can operate. But what if they could “plug” into a grid, the way buildings do on Earth? Instead of cables and outlets, Star Catcher is building the technology to wirelessly beam energy to spacecraft’s existing solar panels when and where they need it.\nBe an early member of a team building an entirely new energy infrastructure at scale to power the next frontier.\nStar Catcher Industries, Inc., located in Jacksonville, Florida, has an opportunity for a Senior Electrical Engineer - RF & Communications Systems to support the development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network, its orbital power grid. This role will be responsible for leading RF and communications subsystem architecture and co-own system communications interfaces.\nKey Responsibilities\nLead RF and communications subsystem architecture and co-own system communications interfaces, including designing, simulating, and implementing RF circuits and subsystems such as LNAs, PAs, filters, mixers, synthesizers, and transceiver modules for space-to-ground communication links.\nDevelop and refine system-level RF architectures that meet demanding environmental, performance, and reliability requirements for space applications.\nLead RF component selection, schematic design, and PCB layout review with a focus on radiation tolerance, thermal performance, and high-frequency signal integrity.\nPerform hardware bring-up, tuning, and RF characterization using lab equipment (VNA, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters) to support first-article deployment.\nLead link budget analysis and trade studies for spacecraft communications architectures (e.g., TT&C, ranging, and crosslink concepts).\nSupport environmental, thermal, and radiation-effects considerations as part of design verification for space systems.\nWork closely with systems engineering, digital/FPGA hardware, firmware, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration and efficient production.\nTroubleshoot complex RF issues, execute root-cause analysis, and propose design improvements to enhance reliability and mission readiness.\nCreate technical documentation including requirements, design reports, test procedures, and verification artifacts.\nMentor early-career RF engineers and support the department's growth in communications systems engineering capability.\nBasic Qualifications\nEducation: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.\nExperience: 10+ years of professional experience in RF or communications systems design, including link budget analysis, RF front-end design, or transceiver/antenna systems.\nDemonstrated experience leading or co-owning RF subsystem architecture from concept through qualification in a demanding environment; spaceflight heritage is preferred.\nTechnical Expertise\nStrong understanding of RF fundamentals including impedance matching, linearity, gain, noise figure, phase noise, and EMI/EMC.\nProficiency with RF simulation tools such as ADS, AWR Microwave Office, HFSS, or equivalent.\nExperience with PCB design tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or similar).\nFamiliarity with spacecraft communications standards and practices (e.g., CCSDS, TT&C architectures).\nDesired Skills\nExperience designing or integrating spacecraft communications subsystems (TT&C, S-band/X-band/UHF, or similar).\nExperience with software-defined radio (SDR) platforms.\nExperience interfacing with bus or payload accommodation vendors on communications requirements.\nFamiliarity with environmental and qualification standards (MIL-STD, NASA GEVS, or similar).\nExperience supporting spectrum licensing and coordination activities, including providing RF technical inputs for FCC licensing and ITU coordination through the responsible regulatory team.\nExperience mentoring engineers or leading technical design reviews.\nHelp us deploy and scale space infrastructure that will drive our utilization of space forward! We offer a highly competitive benefits package including access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, and paid parental leave, in addition to other benefits.\nStar Catcher is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Star Catcher 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.\nAll offers of employment at Star Catcher are contingent upon results of a thorough background check and your ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the US.\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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5306,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance","Parental leave","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-08T14:53:03Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":82,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.871,"p_room":0.945,"age_days":13,"expected_fill_days":36,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-22T06:10:10Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/star-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/star-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-23T03:59:14Z","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":6540,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-24T00:00:00Z"}},"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":1906176},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1906176"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fstar-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems"},{"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%2Fstar-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems"},{"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%2Fstar-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems"},{"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/star-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fstar-catcher-senior-electrical-engineer-rf-communications-systems"}]}