Senior RF Engineer II - Radar

The posting, as Rocket Lab wrote it

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems that keep the world connected, protected, expand humanity’s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We move fast, build real hardware for meaningful missions, and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we’re not just launching rockets — we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it’s a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space — our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

SENIOR RF ENGINEER II – RADAR

Based at Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, we are looking for a Senior RF Engineer II - Radar/RF who will be responsible for the technical development of radar and RF systems including SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and space-based radar applications. You will drive radar system architecture, oversee RF component integration, and support hands-on radar testing and calibration. The successful candidate will have a strong combination of radar engineering, RF systems design, and spacecraft systems experience, and will thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO

System Development

• Lead technical development of space-based radar systems including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development
• Define and maintain radar performance requirements and link budget specifications accounting for orbital parameters
• Conduct radar payload design trades including antenna selection, waveform optimization, and processing architectures for space platforms
• Drive key technical decisions for radar modes, timing, PRF selection, and RF chain design considering orbit dynamics
• Complete radar analyses including range/Doppler resolution, SNR, ambiguity analysis, interference assessment, and orbital effects on performance
• Analyze mission requirements including orbit selection, ground track patterns, and revisit characteristics
• Develop and execute radar calibration strategies and image quality validation methods for spaceborne systems
• Support the development of radar test plans, procedures, and automated test systems
• Lead the design and development of radar GSE including c

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Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at g.biow@rocketlabusa.com. This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.