About the position
Project Kuiper is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world. As a PIT RF Communications System Payload Integration and Test Engineer, you will engage with an experienced cross-disciplinary team to design and test innovative product solutions. You will work closely with colleagues throughout Project Kuiper's inter-disciplinary team and engage third party suppliers in order to drive key aspects of product definition, execution, and optimization. You must be responsive, flexible and able to succeed within a collaborative and fast-paced environment. As a member of the Payload Integration and Test team, you will be responsible for verification and validation of the entire wireless system composed of multiple wireless components. This includes testing, analyzing, and optimizing RF systems from baseband modems to RF transceivers to phased-array antennas.
Responsibilities
- Working within a project team and taking responsibility for a high bandwidth, low earth orbit communications satellite constellation.
- Deep-dives into component and subsystem designs to document expectations, evaluate tests, remedy test failures, and provide quick feedback to improve performance.
- Collaborating with diverse technical teams such as software, mechanical, modem, and compliance teams to validate expectations for system-level and network-level operations, from concept through execution.
- Integrating the end-to-end RF communications system. Meeting with customers internally and externally to select components.
- Defining test plans and procedures for lab and RF chamber testing, based on identified requirements for subsystems and for the overall system.
- Defining test plans and procedures for on-orbit payload verification or satellite testing, based on identified requirements.
- Analyzing and mitigating potential self-interference and other system interference issues.
- Implementing, validating, and optimizing RF lab set-ups composed of antenna, measurement equipment, and prototype equipment. Analyzing RF link budget / line-up for test set-ups and for the deployed system.
- Configuring test equipment for automated operation: satellite link emulator, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, etc.
- Meeting with suppliers to select enabling lab technologies.
- Interpreting test results, troubleshooting issues, performing root-cause analysis for any test failures.
- Documenting test results, test coverage, and other KPI metrics. Communicating status and issues effectively with developers and managers.
- Shepherding payload subsystems through test campaigns throughout the development lifecycle, from concept to implementation to integration.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline, or 5+ years of RF, satellite, aerospace, or related industry experience.
- 5+ years in RF design and/or verification with launched products.
Nice-to-haves
- Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
- Experience with on-orbit payload verification or satellite testing.
- Experience with current and upcoming RF standards in cellular (4G/5G), OFDM/WiMAX, 802.11ad, microwave backhaul, DVB-S2 / DVB-C, OR similar broadband wireless standards.
- Experience with communications theory and RF systems: OFDM, MIMO, free-space optics, polarization, spread spectrum, matching, S-parameters, losses, coherence, etc.
- Understanding of the challenges associated with low-Earth-orbit satellite communications: frequency bands, regulatory, earth stations, path loss, power spectral density, power flux density, etc.
- Experience in wireless (satellite and/or terrestrial) system design and/or system integration, RF system analysis.
- Experience with RF measurement equipment, including: power meters, spectrum analyzers, vector signal generators, network analyzers, oscilloscopes.
- Computational problem solving in one or more of the following: Python, MATLAB, C/C++/C#, VB, Java, Ruby, Google Go.
