Urban Sky
This range is provided by Urban Sky. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.
Base pay range $130,000.00/yr - $180,000.00/yr
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.
Stock Options
Medical, Vision and Dental
Unlimited Vacation Days
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Urban Sky by 2x
Get notified about new Senior Radio Frequency Engineer jobs in
Denver, CO .
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Base pay range $130,000.00/yr - $180,000.00/yr
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.
Stock Options
Medical, Vision and Dental
Unlimited Vacation Days
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Urban Sky by 2x
Get notified about new Senior Radio Frequency Engineer jobs in
Denver, CO .
#J-18808-Ljbffr