RF Components Engineer
US$219,000 – US$280,000 / yr base salary
Posted 3 Oct 2026
Advertised as “Principal RF Components Engineer”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Level
- II
- Expected experience
- 10+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Visa sponsorship
- Not offered
| Base salary | US$219,000 – US$280,000 / yr |
|---|
About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.
Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
As a Principal RF Components Engineer at Varda, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless connectivity between our satellite vehicles and ground stations. You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of each RF component, collaborating closely with RF Systems Engineers to define component specifications and to either select or design the necessary hardware. Your work will be crucial in rigorously validating components before their deployment to space. This role requires a strong sense of ownership over your hardware, continually setting new standards for testing RF components before flight.
Some people say that you only have one chance to fly to space so you must be certain it will work. At Varda, we believe that the trip to space and back is the easiest trip our hardware takes. We stress our components above and beyond the levels it should expect to see in flight and we investigate our failures thoroughly. Come join our team and build quality electronics that you will get to see fly over and over again.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the Responsible Engineer for RF flight components, including radios, power amplifiers, antennas and filters.
- Collaborate with RF Systems Engineers to refine product specifications, select or design appropriate components, and oversee the entire product lifecycle.
- Work closely with Flight Software, Structures, and Integration & Test teams to document cross-functional interface requirements for a successful deployment of hardware onto the flight vehicle.