RF & Communications Engineer
2 - 5 years
Santa Barbara, CA
Full-time
Onsite
1 month ago
About the role
About TerraFirma Robotics
TerraFirma Robotics is developing autonomous drone-based systems and data products for Earth monitoring and environmental intelligence. Our work spans robotics, edge AI, sensing, autonomy, and digital twin infrastructure. We care about technical rigor, thoughtful execution, and building systems that are useful in the real world, not just impressive in a demo.
About the Role
This role is for an engineer who wants to contribute meaningfully in a small, highly collaborative environment. You’ll work on core technical problems, help shape implementation decisions, and partner across disciplines to move systems from concept to reliable execution. We value clear thinking, sound engineering judgment, and a willingness to work across boundaries when needed.
Compensation: Full-time salary + equity option
Start Date: May 15, 2026
The Role
You ensure every critical byte of data gets from a compact autonomous drone to the cloud through highly constrained connectivity paths. You own the RF design, modem behavior, antenna tradeoffs, and board-level signal isolation needed to make satellite and cellular links viable inside a compact flying wing airframe.
What You'll Do
Requirements
Preferred
Why TerraFirma
Compensation and benefits vary by role, level, and location, and will be discussed during the process.
Equal Opportunity
TerraFirma Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on qualifications, capability, and potential to contribute. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected status under applicable law.
TerraFirma Robotics is developing autonomous drone-based systems and data products for Earth monitoring and environmental intelligence. Our work spans robotics, edge AI, sensing, autonomy, and digital twin infrastructure. We care about technical rigor, thoughtful execution, and building systems that are useful in the real world, not just impressive in a demo.
About the Role
This role is for an engineer who wants to contribute meaningfully in a small, highly collaborative environment. You’ll work on core technical problems, help shape implementation decisions, and partner across disciplines to move systems from concept to reliable execution. We value clear thinking, sound engineering judgment, and a willingness to work across boundaries when needed.
Compensation: Full-time salary + equity option
Start Date: May 15, 2026
The Role
You ensure every critical byte of data gets from a compact autonomous drone to the cloud through highly constrained connectivity paths. You own the RF design, modem behavior, antenna tradeoffs, and board-level signal isolation needed to make satellite and cellular links viable inside a compact flying wing airframe.
What You'll Do
- Integrate NTN and cellular modules for direct-to-cloud communication experiments
- Develop compact antenna systems within tight airframe constraints
- Design for RF performance in electrically noisy embedded environments
- Characterize RF interference from propulsion systems and high-speed digital electronics, then mitigate EMI
- Help define grounding, shielding, and mixed-signal layout practices for communications hardware
- Perform end-to-end link budget analysis for constrained connectivity paths
- Design practical low-bandwidth and store-and-forward communications behavior
- Optimize bandwidth utilization for TerraFirma's dual-token data architecture
Requirements
- Strong RF design background for compact embedded systems
- Antenna design for small platforms, impedance matching, radiation patterns, and RF measurement
- Experience dealing with noisy ground planes and isolating digital, analog, and RF sections
- Cellular and modem integration: AT commands, serial diagnostics, MQTT/CoAP, and embedded connectivity debugging
- Satellite communications: LEO NTN concepts, 3GPP NTN fundamentals, link budget analysis
- RF system integration inside compact UAV platforms
- Practical low-bandwidth networking and store-and-forward design
- Test equipment: VNA, spectrum analyzer, antenna pattern measurement
- Interference mitigation in constrained RF environments
Preferred
- Experience with NTN-capable cellular modules
- Antenna design for drones or small UAVs (<500g)
- LoRa mesh protocol development (beyond gateway mode)
- Direct-to-satellite IoT experience
- Sub-1W power budget communications systems
- 3GPP NTN Release 17 familiarity
Why TerraFirma
- Meaningful technical ownership from the start
- Close collaboration with a small, high-trust team
- Opportunity to work on multidisciplinary problems across robotics, AI, sensing, and systems
- A chance to help shape products and technical foundations early
- Competitive compensation, with benefits structured by role and hiring location
Compensation and benefits vary by role, level, and location, and will be discussed during the process.
Equal Opportunity
TerraFirma Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on qualifications, capability, and potential to contribute. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected status under applicable law.
Skills
Technology, Information and Internet