Lead RF PCB Layout Engineer

Array Labs•California, MD 20636, US• Full Time

Posted 2 weeks ago• Electrical

Compensation

$160,000–$200,000/year

Job Description

Array Labs builds advanced radar systems to help humanity understand and respond to changes across the physical world.

We’re launching a coordinated fleet of radar satellites to create a high-resolution 3D map of the Earth – updated in real time – enabling faster, smarter decision-making for government and commercial organizations supporting disaster response, infrastructure resilience, and mission-critical geopolitical intelligence.

We design and build our satellites end-to-end, producing the world’s most advanced earth observation satellites. Our fleet will deliver unprecedented levels of accuracy, coverage, and responsiveness to power critical insights precisely where they’re needed most.

About the job

As a Lead RF PCB Layout Engineer, you will own the physical implementation of Array’s RF and microwave electronics in Altium, translating schematics and performance requirements into layouts that work on the first spin. Your work will include component placement, controlled-impedance routing, stack-up definition, grounding and shielding strategy, connector and launch design, and isolation of sensitive RF and mixed-signal domains.

You will partner closely with RF design, electrical, antenna, mixed-signal, mechanical, and test engineers to drive layout constraints, reviews, and manufacturing releases. The boards you ship will directly determine RF performance, stability, spurious behavior, and overall sensor reliability in the lab and on orbit.

Responsibilities

Own RF PCB layout from initial placement through manufacturing release in Altium Designer

Define and implement stack-ups, controlled-impedance routing, and RF grounding, shielding, and isolation strategies

Translate schematic intent into layouts that meet RF performance requirements, including connector launches, transitions, filtering, and protection circuitry placement

Partner with RF design, electrical, antenna, mixed-signal, mechanical, and test engineers to develop layout constraints, run reviews, and de-risk first-pass success

Drive DFM/DFT considerations with fabrication and assembly partners, including documentation and release artifacts

Basic Qualifications

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience

Experience in PCB layout, fabrication, and release of RF and/or high-performance electronics

Excellent teamwork and communication skills

Learns new concepts rapidly, completely, and in a self-directed manner

High levels of self-motivation and personal accountability

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under significant time constraints

Preferred Skills and Experience

Experience designing RF and microwave PCB layouts including controlled-impedance routing, launches and transitions, grounding, shielding, and isolation

Comfort with Altium Designer for constraint-driven layout and clean manufacturing outputs; experience with Allegro and/or OrCAD is a plus

Experience developing PCB stack-ups and layout constraints for high-frequency, high-performance electronics

A strong intuition for layout-driven RF behavior, including coupling, return paths, leakage, spurious paths, and stability risks

Experience working closely with RF design engineers to translate schematic intent into layouts that work on the first spin

Experience with manufacturing release, DFM/DFT considerations, and collaborating with fabrication and assembly partners

Experience supporting lab bring-up and RF characterization alongside design and test engineers (e.g., helping troubleshoot issues seen on VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and in system testing)

Experience with EM and RF analysis workflows for layout validation (e.g., HFSS, CST, ADS Momentum) is a plus

Experience taking RF hardware from prototype through qualification and environmental testing

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State

Equal Opportunity Employer

Array Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made on the basis of merit, competence, and job qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by gender, color, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender identity, veteran status, disability status, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status

Interview Process

We will conduct three interviews via Zoom; the typical process takes around 3-5 weeks to complete from start to finish.

Hiring and Compensation Strategy

Our hiring and compensation strategy is simple:

1) find uncommonly good people

2) pay them uncommonly well

You can anticipate competitive pay, generous equity, and high flexibility between salary and equity-based compensation.

Why Join Array

At Array Labs, deep technical expertise meets relentless impact. We prioritize curiosity over hierarchy and bold engineering over incremental gains. Our world-class team across hardware engineering, software, and aerospace works collaboratively to push boundaries and move fast.

Our values:

1. Build What Matters: Create technology that serves customers and advances humanity

2. Innovate Together: Stay curious, collaborate openly, push boundaries as one team

3. Employee Centric: Put our people first with a culture of trust, respect, and opportunity

Join industry-leading experts to deliver unprecedented insights about our planet and build the future of Earth observation.