Description
Anduril Industries is seeking a RF Communications Engineer for our Space team. As a RF Communications Engineer, you will contribute to the design of all satellite communications subsystems, including bus TT&C, mission data links, and inter-satellite links. You will possess deep knowledge of RF and optical systems, including link budget ownership, subsystem design, and the integration of NSA-approved Type 1 encryption. You will author space-to-ground ICDs and become familiar with Anduril's ground software enterprise and orbital flight software systems.
The Spacecraft Comms team will work closely with related teams, such as the spacecraft design, ground, and flight software, to help improve both the ground and satellite-based capabilities. Your primary responsibility will be the successful design, test, and operations of the various communications links onboard Anduril's fleet of spacecraft.
This role is directly tied to ongoing, funded programs within Anduril's Space Business Line. The programs require building and fielding a resilient, software-defined spacecraft systems across numerous mission threads. You will work with mission partners and customers to deploy reliable and robust capabilities on operationally-relevant fielding timelines to meet complex challenges across the DOD and IC.
Key responsibilities include:
- Contributing to the spacecraft communications subsystems for various spacecraft programs in all orbital regimes
- Integrating with legacy systems to unlock 21st-century capabilities
- Developing modern, software-defined approaches to autonomous spacecraft communications leveraging proliferated constellations of ground and space-based assets
- Owning space-to-ground and space-to-space ICDs and designs for communication subsystems
- Collaborating across multiple teams to plan, build, and test complex functionality
- Coordinating with end-users, other operators, and customers to turn needs into features while balancing user experience with engineering constraints
- Supporting challenging schedules during ground testing, launch windows, and on-orbit operations of the spacecraft systems
Required qualifications include:
- Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in areas/fields such as Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Computer Science, or other engineering degree
- Experience conducting spacecraft operations and satellite command and control with an emphasis on system reliability and uptime
- Flexible and agile problem-solving skills
- Working knowledge of and experience with MATLAB
- Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and detailed requirements
- Experience with RF subsystem design for space-space and space-ground in multiple orbital regimes
- Experience with optical inter-satellite and optical space-ground systems
- Capable of solving complex technical problems with little oversight
- Clear communication and organizational skills, including creating documentation and training materials
- Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance
Preferred qualifications include:
- Experience with Python, Go, C++, and/or Linux systems
- A desire to work on critical software and hardware designs in the space domain
- Experience testing comms subsystems in laboratory environments that mimic the space environmental constraints
- Experience with testing/validation leveraging FlatSats, Hardware-in-the-Loop testbeds, and digital spacecraft simulators through nominal and fault scenarios
- Exposure to ground station operations and providers
- Exposure to US satellite operations policy and constraints for relevant mission threads in all orbits