Senior/Staff RF Systems Engineer

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby is seeking a talented RF Systems Engineer to join our radio team. This engineer will collaborate with software, hardware, and system engineers, and other cross-functional teams to analyze and improve radio systems performance. The radio team covers both RF support for traditional avionics systems used in production aircraft now and in the future, and flight test telemetry systems used in the development and test phase, which has been ongoing for more than eight years at Joby. This is a hands-on and in-person position that combines desk-based forward thinking strategy with real time on-site engineering, technical execution, test and documentation. Integration and optimized application of COTS or vendor-supplied equipment is the primary task, not building new devices. Willingness to roll up your sleeves and get involved with testing, building, and fixing is essential. The preferred location is at our HQ in Santa Cruz, CA.

Responsibilities

• Utilize detailed understanding of RF/antenna systems including UHF command and control, microwave telemetry, SatCom, cellular LTE networks and radio equipment operation to design, implement, integrate, test and validate performance of the radio systems on our eVTOL aircraft
• Use source/victim testing and other methods to assure the coexistence of all flight critical radio systems onboard the eVTOL aircraft
• Utilize advanced data analysis tools such as Grafana, Databricks and Unfolded to examine  flight test data for anomalies, patterns, and potentially flight blocking issues
• Resolve impairments and performance issues that occur during integration, bench test, and flight test
• Perform computer aided antenna engineering and system design using Ansys HFSS (or equivalent)
• Predict antenna radiation patterns and antenna-to-antenna coupling
• Design, develop, certify and integrate next-generation conformal antennas to replace blade antennas
• Specify and implement test equipment to be used in the production environment as part of the manufacturing process of radio systems including Joby-manufactured radios based on 400 MHz COTS radio modules
• Inspect, configure, and troubleshoot radio hardware and antennas on the fleet of Joby aircraft and supporting ground equipment.
• Hands-on, in-person involvement at remotely located test sites, up to one week per month
• Provide mentorship to team members and support their career growth and development

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of experience developing and/or deploying RF and radio systems
• Experience as a team lead, manager, or mentor of engineers 
• Understanding of communications systems, associated SW algorithms and their design, including C2 source selection, signal modulation/demodulation and error correction, RF signal acquisition, RF gain control (AGC), and antenna performance.
• Operational understanding of VHF com radios, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR), ILS (LOC + GS), Radar Altimeter
• US Citizen or Permanent US Resident

Desired

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering 
• 10+ years of experience developing and/or deploying RF and radio systems
• Experience managing a team in self-directed engineering projects

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $139,000 - $234,000/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.