Lead Antenna Engineer - Test, Validation & Integration

Job Description

Job Description

About the Company

This aerospace startup is revolutionizing the skies by developing high-altitude, solar-powered UAVs designed for real-time next-gen communication capabilities. With ambitions to surpass traditional satellite and ground-based technologies, the team is pioneering a new era of connectivity — one that will redefine global communications and access for underserved regions. Their vision is to become a trailblazer in solar-powered aviation, reshaping the future of autonomous UAVs and setting a new standard for how the world connects from above. 

This company has a powerhouse team and the network/tech to surpass competitors . About the Role

We are looking for a Lead Antenna Design Engineer to own the test and integration of this startup's phased array antenna systems. This startup has a specialist design partner building its first-generation arrays, and now it needs someone on its own side of the table who knows antennas cold and can prove, independently, that the hardware performs as promised.

You'll be the team's antenna authority. You'll write and challenge the specs, read vendor test reports with a healthy dose of skepticism, run your own validation in the chamber and in the field, and make sure the whole system sings once it's flying. You'll work alongside the RF systems lead and the aero and mechanical teams, with a direct line from your test data to a vehicle in the sky.

What You'll Own

• The spec. Translating coverage and link goals into antenna requirements a vendor can build to, and knowing when a number doesn't add up.

• The vendor, technically. Design reviews, test plan sign-off, acceptance criteria, and reaching success with the highly skilled vendor.

• Independent validation. Near-field and far-field chamber measurements covering pattern, gain, scan performance, calibration and beam steering.

• Installed and in-flight performance. Validating the antenna on the aircraft and correlating field results with models and vendor data.

• The test playbook. Building the plans, fixtures and processes the company will rely on as its antenna program grows.

What We’re Looking For

• Hands-on experience testing and evaluating antenna systems on real hardware, ideally phased arrays

• Fluency in antenna parameters and what they mean at the system level 

• Time in an anechoic chamber and comfort with VNAs and measurement setups

• A solid grasp of radio systems and link budgets, so you know what "good" looks like for the network

• Experience working with outside vendors or suppliers, and the confidence to push back when the data looks off

Bonus Points

• Field, flight or installed-performance testing on aircraft, UAVs, ground vehicles or satellites

• Cellular or direct-to-device experience (sub-6 GHz, LTE, 5G NR)

• Enough EM modeling background (HFSS, CST, FEKO) to go deep with the people doing the design
  

Don't check every box? Apply anyway. If you've built a career on making sure antennas actually work, the team wants to hear from you.

 

Logistics

Full-time and on-site at the Bay Area headquarters. The lab, the hardware and the aircraft are all here, and so is the team.

 

What Success Looks Like

• Within your first few months, you're the person who knows exactly how the vendor's hardware should perform, and whether it does

• The first arrays are independently validated and integrated on the aircraft with no surprises

• The company has an antenna test and acceptance process it trusts

Benefits Why You’ll Love Working Here

Join a powerhouse team of brilliant builders
Work with a small, seriously technical crew led by people with a star-studded history of Silicon Valley wins.

Competitive startup salary
Be paid well to do the most energizing work of your career.

Ground-floor equity
Own meaningful upside from day one. This is your chance to shape the company’s trajectory and participate fully in the value you help create.

Excellent health insurance
Enjoy strong medical coverage for employees so you can stay healthy while pushing boundaries.

Dog-friendly office with Bay views
Bring your pup and enjoy a beautiful workspace with panoramic water views that spark creativity and joy.

 

 

About AdAstra

AdAstra Talent Advisors is a headhunting and talent advising firm focused on the Climate, Space, and Defense sectors of Hard Tech. We specialize in pairing highly technical and executive talent with some of the world’s leading Hard Tech startups.

At AdAstra, we catalyze the innovations that future generations depend on by placing the right people in the right seats. Our dedicated work enables inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars. And it’s all because of trailblazing talent like you - those driven to do what’s never been done before. 

We care about long term relationships with both candidates and companies. Even if the role we initially discuss isn’t a perfect fit, it’s likely we’ll have something relevant to share with you in the future. 

Join us on our journey by following along via LinkedIn!

CEO, Seyka Mejeur | LinkedIn profile

CTO, Brian Mejeur | LinkedIn profile

AdAstra Talent Advisors | LinkedIn profile

AdAstra Website

 

Our client is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.