Senior RF Communications Engineer

About The Role: 

Urban Sky is seeking an experienced RF Communications Engineer to lead the design, configuration, and optimization of communication networks for high-altitude relay and bent-pipe systems to support a growing ecosystem of 3rd party payloads integrating with the Urban Sky Microballoon platform. This role focuses on achieving and maintaining link closure across all mission phases, ensuring reliable, high-bandwidth data transfer between airborne, spaceborne, and ground segments and collaborative iterative engagement with internal and external stakeholders, partners and customers.

Key Functions:

• Perform detailed RF link budget analyses to ensure end-to-end communication reliability across dynamic mission geometries and environmental conditions.
• Define and validate system parameters including transmit power, antenna gain, modulation, coding, and data rate to ensure link margin sufficiency.
• Develop and maintain network configuration documentation for multi-node relay or bent-pipe architectures.
• Configure and validate RF network topologies, frequency plans, and routing paths for dynamic relay networks.
• Interface with government and customer stakeholders to optimize and configure mission parameters.
• Support bent-pipe communication architectures, including balloon-to-balloon, balloon-to-payload, balloon-to-ground, and payload-to-ground paths.
• Optimize network performance across multiple platforms, ensuring robustness against interference, Doppler shifts, and propagation losses.
• Collaborate with systems and payload engineers to ensure RF subsystem integration meets mission requirements.
• Conduct hardware-in-the-loop and field validation tests of RF links, including end-to-end connectivity and throughput testing.
• Develop automated tools for link monitoring, network status, and performance reporting.
• Support real-time mission operations to monitor and troubleshoot link performance.
• Analyze post-mission RF telemetry to refine link models and update configuration parameters.
• Develop security hardened RF and data communications network standards.

Skills & Experience:

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, or a related field.
• 6–8+ years of hands-on experience in RF systems engineering, preferably within aerospace, satellite, or high-altitude communications.
• Proficiency in link budget modeling tools (e.g., Python, STK, MATLAB, SystemVue, or equivalent).
• Deep understanding of RF propagation, antenna design principles, modulation schemes, and error correction coding.
• Familiarity with bent-pipe / regenerative architectures, and network routing protocols for relay systems.
• Experience with network configuration, test instrumentation (e.g., spectrum analyzers, vector signal generators), and hardware integration.
• Knowledge of regulatory and spectrum management considerations (FCC, ITU, etc.).
• Experience building EW resilient wireless networks.

Nice-to-Haves:

• Aerospace and/or start-up experience
• Experience with high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), small satellite communications, or airborne relay architectures.
• Background in software-defined radio (SDR) development and network automation scripting (Python, MATLAB, C++).
• Familiarity with Ka-, Ku-, or X-band systems and adaptive modulation / coding techniques.
• Familiarity with Type 1 encryption transport and Link 16.

Benefits:

• Stock Options
• Medical, Vision and Dental
• Unlimited Vacation Days
• Cell Phone Bill Stipend