Principal RF/Electrical Engineer

Principal RF/Electrical Engineer

Lynk is the inventor of satellite direct to standard phone technology or sat2phone and has the world's only commercial license from the FCC to operate a commercial sat2phone system. Today, Lynk allows mobile network operators' subscribers to send and receive text messages to and from space via standard unmodified, mobile devices. Lynk's service has been tested and proven on all seven continents, has regulatory approvals in more than 30 countries and is currently being deployed commercially based on more than 40 MNO commercial service contracts covering approximately 50 countries.

Our technology will enable all 8 billion people on the planet to stay connected with the existing standard phone in their pocket. Everywhere. No matter what.

By joining Lynk, you will have the opportunity to directly touch the lives of billions. Your mission will be to bring mobile broadband to billions, pull hundreds of millions out of poverty, and save countless lives.

Job Summary:

As a Principal RF/Electrical Engineer at Lynk, you will be responsible for wearing many hats in the world of radio frequencies, electronics, hardware, and software. You will be responsible for the analysis, design, implementation, optimization, and enhancement of our satellite communications systems (and, ultimately, the future constellation network, including inter-satellite and multi-orbit links). Some work products will include link budgets analyses, system dimensioning for coverage and capacity (including traffic analysis and simulation), initial system design and dimensioning, coverage planning, frequency planning, interference analysis and mitigation techniques. This engineer will also be responsible for supporting the iterative design and testing of our satellite communications systems hardware/electronics and software. This will include working with software defined radios, single-board computers, FPGAs, SoCs, processors, LNAs, and filters – you will also be involved in our payload antenna selection and design. While playing with all this hardware on a bench, you'll probably need to pick up a soldering gun, use a spectrum analyzer, assemble circuits on a breadboard, and/or configure an RF channel simulator.

If you enjoy the challenge of wearing many hats and have a track record of creative thinking to solve unconventional problems, then we look forward to meeting you!

Core Responsibilities:

• Support design of satellite communications systems hardware (RF-Front-End, LNA, SSPA, PLLs, Filters, etc.) and software design and development
• Support selection and design of small satellite antenna technologies
• Develop link budget analyses, simulations, traffic/capacity analysis, RF system design and dimensioning, coverage and frequency planning, etc.
• Support satellite communications systems integration, testing, delivery to launch and satellite bus partners/vendors.
• Design and plan satellite communications systems testing configurations on the ground when testing satellite communications systems performance both in-lab and in-orbit.
• Interface with Systems Engineering team to inform constellation/network architecture and design based on RF communications systems performance.
• Bench level mechatronics work including testing, integration, assembly, programming and prototyping of electronics hardware and software.
• Some software-based Systems Engineering analysis.
• Support developing and maintaining technical documentation for hardware/software design and development.
• Must be able to work independently and in a team environment.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree (or better) in RF or Electrical Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience working on projects developing space payload hardware and software (preferably communications systems).
• Thorough understanding of RF link budget, RF active and passive components.
• Experience in designing wireless communication systems.
• Experience in basic principles of antenna theory.
• Hands-on experience from concept to production with RF Front End design, SDRs, antennas, LNA, SSPA, filters, couplers, RF switches, PLLs, antennas, DC-DC converters, microcontroller, FPGA is highly desired.
• Hands-on experience with testing, troubleshooting, and debugging RF systems.
• Programming Proficiency in one or more programming languages is highly desired (e.g., C++, C, Python, MATLAB, etc.)
• Experience working with Linux based systems.
• Proficiency with electrical design software, such as Altium Designer, ADS, and SolidWorks are highly desired.
• Proficiency with test equipment including VNAs, protocol signal generators, and spectrum analyzers.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of RF air interfaces and their use of multiple access schemes such as TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, CDMA, etc. is highly desired.
• Hands-on experience with integrating hardware and software systems is desired.
• Must be good with computers. Fluent in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX; Very capable with Microsoft Office (Excel, Project, PowerPoint, Word).
• Hands-on experience with programming microcontrollers, FPGAs and SDRs is desired.
• Knowledge of some communications/networking protocols (for instance: IP, TCP/IP, DVB-S/S2/S2X, CCSDS, LoRA, TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, GSE Encapsulation, ZeroMQ, VXLAN tunneling, DHCP, Tailscale, Ethernet, etc.)

Job Location: Chantilly, VA.