Principal Radio Systems Engineer

Why LeoLabs?

At LeoLabs, we're building the living map of activity in space. Through our proprietary global radar network and AI-enabled analytics platform, we collect millions of measurements daily on more than 25,000 objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). Our radar-powered intelligence protects billions in assets, monitors adversarial behavior, and ensures safe operations for commercial and government missions.

We're not just building technology, we are redefining global security, safety, and transparency in space. As orbital activity accelerates and threats grow more complex, LeoLabs is a trusted partner for Space Domain Awareness, Space Traffic Management, and Satellite Operations for top-tier space operators and allied defense organizations.

If you''re looking to work on mission-critical challenges at the forefront of aerospace, national security, and AI, your impact starts here

The Opportunity

At LeoLabs, the Hardware Engineering Team designs, builds, manufactures, and deploys advanced radar systems that provide persistent orbital intelligence to customers around the world. LeoLabs is at the forefront of this technology, a recognized space-domain awareness leader and seen as a disruptor in conventional radar systems.

As a Principal Radio Systems Engineer, you will lead the design and architecture of the electronics that power our next-generation radar systems. You will own complex system-level hardware designs across multiple programs, guiding hardware designs from concept through validation, manufacturing, and deployment. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems, mentoring other engineers, working in dynamic teams, interfacing with external partners and customers, and building reliable hardware that performs in demanding environments.

In this role, you will work closely with our partners in supporting end-use customers through regular on-site visits in the Denver, Colorado region. As such, work would dictate either living in this region or the ability to frequenty travel to it. Occational travel to our headquarters in Menlo Park, California is also expected.

You will work closely with RF, mechanical, embedded software, manufacturing, and systems engineers to develop both requirements and high-performance radar hardware from concept through deployment.

You will be responsible for:

• Negotiate with end-use customers and own the RF system architecture and specifications across multiple programs.
• Evaluate technical tradeoffs and guide architectural decisions across multiple hardware programs.
• Own radar sensor performance analysis and subsequent hardware requirements.
• Lead the archetecture & development of novel RF, mixed-signal, power, control, timing, and high-performance digital circuitry
• Define system-level, sub-system components, and board-level architectures, working alongside RF, EE, ME, Software and other systems engineers to arrive at functional designs.
• Drive design optimization in simulations, and drive hardware development to achieve it in the laboratory
• Conduct technical design reviews and mentor engineers across the Hardware Engineering Team
• Support manufacturing, field deployments, and root-cause investigations as products transition into production

Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
• 10+ years of experience designing radio systems
• Demonstrated proficiency in modeling and simulation
• Understanding of core systems engineering principles
• Ability todefine, analyze, and manage requirements at all levels from customer facing to component level.
• Competence in developing validation test plans.
• RF system design fundamentals, including noise, linearity, filtering, amplfication, timing and signal synthesis/analysis.
• Hands-on experience with RF Hardware development
• Experience developing engineering tools and automation using Python
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. personnel security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Master''s degree in Electrical Engineering
• Experience designing radar, aerospace, communications, defense, or other mission-critical electronics systems
• Thourough understanding of radar performance metrics, and how hardware, software and operational techniques effect them.
• Experience supporting hardware through manufacturing and deployment
• Experience leading technical teams and mentoring engineers
• Working knowledge of state-of-the-art RF electronics and digital system integration
• Experience with Altium Designer or equivalent PCB design software

Within 1 month, you'll:

• Complete onboarding and become familiar with LeoLabs'' radar architecture, development process
• Build an understanding of current hardware programs and future product roadmap
• Meet with external partners and establish working relationships with them
• Learn the needs of the end customers.
• Begin contributing to engineering the next generation of radar systems

Within 3 months, you'll:

• Take ownership of a major radar systems under active development
• Lead design reviews and guide key architectural decisions

Within 6 months, you'll:

• Establish yourself as a technical leader for RF systems architecture and system integration
• Mentor engineers across the Hardware and Systems Engineering Teams

Within 12 months, you'll:

• Deliver hardware requirement into active prototype designs with efforts to move them to production
• Shape the RF systems architecture for future radar platforms
• Drive technical direction across multiple hardware development programs

Compensation

Salary offers are based on a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skills, and location. The base salary range for this position $213,000 + bonus + stock options + benefits

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. More information regarding ITAR can be found at DDTC's website