Electrical Engineer, Optical Communications Seen this week

Cowboy Space · San Carlos, California · RF & Comms · first seen 2026-07-16

About Cowboy Space Corp.

Cowboy Space Corp. is building infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and transmit energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), enable on-orbit compute, and deliver secure, high-bandwidth optical data.

The Role

You will design and deploy advanced communication systems with emphasis on high-speed optical communications and software-defined radio architectures. You will own the development of RF and hybrid RF/optical communication subsystems capable of delivering high-throughput data links under real-world constraints including motion, atmospheric interference, thermal variation, and limited power budgets.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and integrate communication PCBAs, modulators, and devices for airborne or space-based platforms
Architect and implement SDR-based communication pipelines (modulation, encoding, synchronization, and signal processing)
Develop high-speed optical communication links (free-space optics / laser comms), including link budgeting, pointing and tracking, and alignment strategies with intelligent failover and redundancy
Perform system-level trade studies from high-speed optical links
Design and validate end-to-end communication chains, from data streams through communication PCBAs to optical front-ends
Collaborate closely with avionics, firmware, and compute teams to integrate comms systems into flight hardware
Develop test infrastructure for lab and field validation, including over-the-air testing and optical link validation setups
Analyze performance under real-world conditions (noise, interference, Doppler, atmospheric turbulence, pointing loss) and iterate rapidly
Own documentation, interface definitions, and system performance metrics for communication subsystems

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field
3+ years of experience in RF systems, communications engineering, or related domain
Strong fundamentals in communication theory (modulation, coding, synchronization, signal propagation)
Experience designing PCBAs for communication systems
Experience with software-defined radio platforms
Hands-on experience with RF lab equipment (spectrum analyzers, signal generators, VNAs, oscilloscopes)
Familiarity with link budgeting and system-level performance analysis
Experience working across hardware and software boundaries

Preferred Qualifications

Experience designing or deploying high-speed optical communication systems (free-space optics, laser communications, coherent optical links, or photonics)
Background in avionics, aerospace systems, or other mission-critical embedded environments
Experience with real-time DSP implementation on embedded systems, FPGAs, or GPUs
Familiarity with SDR frameworks and low-level radio hardware (e.g., USRPs or custom RF front-ends)
Understanding of atmospheric effects on both RF and optical propagation (scattering, absorption, turbulence)
Experience with pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems for optical links
Knowledge of antenna systems, phased arrays, or optical beam steering technologies
Experience with high-throughput data systems and low-latency communication architectures
Experience working within SWaP (size, weight, and power) constraints for flight systems
Strong debugging skills across the full stack: RF front-end, optical systems, firmware, and software

Compensation and Benefits

Salary range: $150,000 to $200,000 annually, based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid parental leave
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and fully stocked kitchen

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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 required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.