Forward Deployed RF Engineer

About Northwood:

Northwood is on a mission to transform connectivity between earth and space and bring the benefits of space to the masses through innovations in space communications technologies. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.

Job Level:

The level of this position will be determined based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. We are open to considering candidates of varying experience levels, from early-career to experienced.

Role:

To build the ground station network of the future, Northwood needs to ensure that our RF systems work seamlessly across a wide range of customer missions, environments, and hardware configurations. Our ability to deliver mission-critical data depends not just on what we design, but on how well those designs integrate and perform in the real world.

We are looking for a Forward Deployed RF Engineer to lead customer-facing RF integration, validation, and testing efforts. You will be responsible for ensuring compatibility between Northwood’s RF systems and customer payloads, owning the process from initial requirements through on-site integration and mission readiness. This includes hardware-in-the-loop testing, system-level validation, and deep collaboration with both internal engineering teams and external customers.

This role is a great fit for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of RF hardware, systems integration, and real-world deployment. You should be comfortable debugging complex RF systems, working hands-on with hardware, and operating in dynamic, customer-driven environments. We care more about your ability to solve problems and deliver working systems than any specific number of years of experience.

Responsibilities:

• Own RF compatibility and integration efforts with customer systems, ensuring successful end-to-end mission performance

• Lead hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and integration testing for RF and communication systems

• Validate RF designs against real-world constraints, including customer hardware, link conditions, and mission requirements

• Serve as the technical interface between Northwood and customers for RF-related topics

• Debug and resolve system-level issues across RF, digital, and software boundaries

• Develop and execute test plans for system validation, including lab and field environments

• Work closely with DSP, FPGA, and RF design engineers to ensure designs are robust and deployable

• Support deployment, bring-up, and commissioning of RF systems in the field

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree, in electrical engineering or a related field

• Hands-on experience with RF hardware and lab equipment (e.g., spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers)

• Experience with software-defined radios (SDRs) and digital communication systems

• Solid understanding of RF fundamentals, including link budgets, interference, and signal integrity

• Strong debugging skills across hardware and system-level issues

• Demonstrated ownership of a system or integration outcome: you built it, tested it, and made it work in the real world

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with satellite communications or space systems

• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and system validation frameworks

• Experience working directly with customers or in field deployment roles

• Knowledge of digital communications standards (e.g., CCSDS, DVB-S2X)

• Experience integrating RF systems with FPGA or embedded platforms

• Comfort working across disciplines, including RF, DSP, firmware, and software

• Experience developing automated test and validation pipelines

Additional Information:

To 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.

Northwood 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.