Lead Radar Instrument Engineer
Core
Technical lead and responsible engineer for a wideband UHF shallow radar sounder for a Mars orbiter mission, owning the instrument from design through spacecraft integration, calibration, and commissioning.
Role type
Senior IC radar instrument engineer (space)
Builds
Flight hardware and processing implementations for a Mars orbiter radar sounder and radiometer
Domain
Space exploration / Planetary science / Radar systems
Required skills
Radar system performance budgeting, Radar return analysis and modeling, Software-defined radio (SDR) implementation, FPGA and/or GPU signal processing, Mixed-signal and digital PCB design, RF circuit design (PAs, LNAs, filters), Antenna design and verification, Hardware development and validation, Flight testing and qualification, Spectrum licensing and frequency coordination
Preferred skills
Microwave radiometry instrument design, Planetary or terrestrial radar familiarity (SHARAD, MARSIS, RIMFAX), AMD/Xilinx RFSoC or Zynq UltraScale+ platforms, Polarimetric radar and full-polarimetry calibration, PDR/CDR and spacecraft integration experience
Technologies
FPGA, GPU, AMD/Xilinx RFSoC, Zynq UltraScale+, SDR, RF circuits, Antennas
Responsibilities
Own system design for radar electronics, signal processing chain, and antenna system; Lead waveform trade studies and implement baseline algorithms; Lead hardware development including prototype and brass board validation; Define instrument calibration schemes; Coordinate development across RF, digital, power, and mechanical disciplines; Lead qualification, acceptance testing, and spacecraft integration.
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC
