About the Company
Infinite Orbits Defence is the defense subsidiary of Infinite Orbits SAS, a NewSpace company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Toulouse, with more than 200 employees and offices in Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and Singapore, among others.
The Infinite Orbits group develops in-orbit services built on its own autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) technology, covering space situational awareness, surveillance, inspection and protection of space assets, through to life extension.
Infinite Orbits Defence delivers mission-ready satellites to defense customers, in France in particular. It procures the group’s generic satellite platform from Infinite Orbits SAS and equips it with the payloads its customers need, for example payloads based on a range of sensors. Infinite Orbits SAS provides the platform, its subsystems and AIT engineering; Infinite Orbits Defence owns the mission, the payloads and the customer relationship.
We are building the founding team of Infinite Orbits Defence. If you are entrepreneurial, comfortable with uncertainty, want full ownership of what you build and want to make a real impact on space defense, join us.
About the Role
You will join a new project as Infinite Orbits Defence ramps up: a defense satellite program. You will own its RF payloads from proposal through design, qualification and integration on the satellite, up to in-orbit acceptance, and help build Infinite Orbits Defence’s RF expertise as the company grows.
You design the RF payload to meet the mission’s performance requirements, develop and qualify it with suppliers and partners, and then support satellite integration and testing.
You work directly with defense customers on their needs and expected RF performance, and are the technical point of contact for RF suppliers, partners and spectrum authorities.
You report to the Lead Mission Systems Engineer and work closely with the Camera and Optical System Engineer and with the Infinite Orbits SAS platform and AIT teams.
Job Description
Requirements and architecture: Translate mission objectives into RF payload requirements and architecture (frequency bands, sensitivity, bandwidth, antenna coverage, on-board processing), lead RF chain design and make-or-buy decisions, and specify payload accommodation on the platform, including EMC.
Performance and spectrum: Develop link budgets, antenna patterns and performance models, trade off on-board versus ground processing, define mission data link and ground station requirements, and ensure compliance with ITU and national spectrum regulations, including frequency filings.
Development and qualification: Manage RF hardware suppliers (antennas, receivers, transmitters, amplifiers, filters) on cost and schedule, develop qualification, environmental and functional test plans and procedures, and resolve RF issues during test campaigns.
Proposals and technology watch: Write the RF payload sections of proposals and funding applications, provide cost, procurement lead-time and test effort inputs, and monitor emerging RF technologies to improve mission performance.
Acceptance and delivery: Define end-to-end performance tests, deliver qualified payloads to Infinite Orbits SAS with their acceptance data and documentation, then prepare in-orbit RF calibration and performance validation.
Requirements
Master’s degree in RF engineering, electronics, aerospace or a related field, or equivalent.
5+ years of experience in RF systems design, including at least 3 years on satellite RF payloads or RF architectures.
Hands-on experience with RF simulation tools (ADS, HFSS, CST, STK, etc.) and a strong grasp of RF principles, antenna theory and microwave engineering.
Proven experience in RF design and testing at equipment and system level during qualification and acceptance campaigns.
Knowledge of the space environment and its effects on RF systems (radiation, thermal, vacuum).
Knowledge of digital signal processing (DSP) and software-defined radio (SDR), or experience on defense or dual-use space programs, is a plus.
Comfortable leading technical reviews, producing interface documentation and writing clear proposal content, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Fluent French and English.
French nationality is required due to restricted-access projects. Holding a French defense security clearance is a plus but not required.
Frequent travel to customers and suppliers in France and across Europe.
What we offer
A founding technical role with direct ownership of the RF payloads of a defense satellite program.
A small, hands-on mission team, backed by the platform, subsystem and AIT expertise of the Infinite Orbits group.
Competitive salary and benefits.
Hiring process
Initial screening interview with HR
Interview with an engineering team lead from Infinite Orbits
Interview with the CEO of Infinite Orbits Defence