Staff Radar Systems Engineer

Job not on LinkedIn

October 23

Apply Now

Receive Emails with Similar Jobs

Capella Space

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

Aerospace • Security • Government

Capella Space is a company that provides advanced Earth observation data using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. These satellites offer high-resolution imagery with all-weather, day-and-night capabilities, allowing for responsive and precise data collection and analytics. Capella Space is known for its rapid scalability, high revisit rates, and robust customer support, targeting applications such as intelligence gathering, damage verification, maritime monitoring, and post-disaster assessment. Their fully automated tasking and scalable satellite constellation enable seamless access to accurate and actionable insights, serving a variety of industries with critical data needs.

51 - 200 employees

Founded 2016

🚀 Aerospace

🔐 Security

🏛️ Government

💰 $60M Venture Round on 2023-01

📋 Description

• Collaborate with the Technical Director to define next-generation SAR system architectures, including waveforms, modes, antenna architectures, and processing concepts. • Perform end-to-end radar performance modeling, including SNR, ambiguity, resolution, coverage, and data throughput analysis. • Conduct trade studies on bandwidth, power-aperture, constellation geometry, and onboard processing architectures. • Provide radar technical expertise and analysis to support current payload and spacecraft design efforts. • Partner with the Advanced Concepts Lead to integrate radar innovations into future mission studies and reference architectures. • Contribute radar-specific insights to CONOPS development, mission feasibility assessments, and system-of-systems analyses. • Evaluate how emerging technologies (e.g., GaN, digital beamforming, onboard AI/ML, and polarimetry) could redefine next-generation SAR missions. • Collaborate with the Lead Systems Engineer to package radar technologies for adoption into higher-TRL SAR programs. • Define radar maturation roadmaps from concept to flight-qualified capability. • Align IRAD and CRAD radar investments with evolving customer priorities (NGA, NRO, DARPA, NASA, ESA). • Define requirements, success metrics, and test approaches for early radar demonstrations (e.g., lab breadboards, airborne surrogates, smallsat testbeds). • Ensure demos are structured to address key feasibility questions and mature technology toward higher readiness levels. • Provide technical oversight and validation of results to ensure credibility and reproducibility. • Represent the company’s radar systems technical credibility in customer meetings, design reviews, and workshops. • Partner with the Technical Director during capture and proposal efforts, contributing radar architecture inputs, discriminators, and risk assessments. • Build and maintain relationships with government labs, academia, and industry partners to stay at the forefront of radar innovation. • Mentor radar engineers and principal investigators in SAR system design, modeling, and trade study execution. • Provide radar subject-matter expertise to multi-disciplinary system integration teams. • Cultivate a center of excellence for radar system design, fostering technical rigor, innovation, and collaboration.

🎯 Requirements

• S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Radar Systems, Applied Physics, or related field (Ph.D. preferred). • 10+ years of experience in radar system engineering, with emphasis on SAR payloads or spaceborne radar systems. • Expertise in radar performance modeling, system architecture, and end-to-end signal processing. • Demonstrated ability to bridge low-TRL radar research with operational system applications. • Familiarity with GaN, AESA architectures, digital beamforming, and radar data exploitation methods. • Experience interfacing with government R&D agencies (DARPA, AFRL, NASA, NGA, NRO) and contributing to proposals or technical capture. • Proven leadership skills and the ability to guide cross-disciplinary technical teams. • To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable.

🏖️ Benefits

• We provide extensive medical coverage, including strong vision and dental plans, flexible spending accounts, and additional supplemental health options. • Paid Flexible Time Off Policy • 401K Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals • Parental Leave program • Lifestyle Spending Account • Commuter & Parking Benefits • Mental Health Resources • Monthly Phone Stipend • Furry friends? We’ve got you covered with dog-friendly work environment & them with pet insurance options