Principal RF Engineer

From the posting

AST SpaceMobile and our global partners are building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network to be accessible by standard smartphones. Called SpaceMobile, this ultra-powerful network is being designed to provide connectivity at 4G/5G speeds everywhere on the planet – on land, at sea and in flight.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal RF Engineer to support the design, analysis, and optimization of advanced satellite-based communications systems. This role is responsible for developing RF performance models, link budgets, and coverage analyses to evaluate end-to-end network performance across space and ground segments. The Principal RF Engineer will work closely with cross-functional engineering teams to assess system performance, optimize network availability, and support the development of reliable, high-capacity communications solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and analyze uplink and downlink link budgets, including EIRP, G/T, path loss, atmospheric effects, antenna performance, fade margins, and system availability.

Create RF performance models to evaluate end-to-end communications performance under various operational and environmental conditions.

Analyze phased array antenna performance, including beamforming, scan loss, sidelobe behavior, coverage patterns, and beam isolation.

Evaluate the effects of Doppler shifts, propagation delays, latency, and user device constraints on network performance and capacity. …

Excerpt from AST SpaceMobile's public job board. Read the full posting.