Senior RF Engineer II - Radar

Rocket Lab  · Long Beach, CA  · Sep 3, 2026

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. 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...

Responsibilities:
System Development
Lead technical development of space-based radar systems including architecture design, prototyping, integration, test, and flight development
Requirements:
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
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 calibration sources and test fixtures
Support spacecraft integration activities and interface with bus subsystem teams (power, thermal, ADCS, data handling)
Support the development of product documentation including ICDs, test reports, and User Manuals
Radar & RF Engineering
Design and analyze radar waveforms for various space-based imaging and detection applications
Perform radar system modeling and simulation using tools such as MATLAB, STK, or custom codes including orbital propagation
Assess and integrate COTS RF components for space-qualified radar transmit/receive chains
Clearance Required: TS/SCI
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Company
Rocket Lab
Location
Long Beach, CA
More jobs in Long Beach
Job Type
Full-time
Category
RF / Microwave
Posted
Sep 3, 2026
Source
Original posting ↗