OS
Senior Ka-Band Phased Array PCB Design Engineer
Accepting applicationsOXG Space · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Full-Time Entry AllegroAltiumRFKa-Bandphased array
Estimated market salary
₹6-11 LPA
This is a SiliconBoard market estimate, not an employer-posted salary.
Posted
20h ago
Category
Manufacturing
Experience
Entry
Country
India
About the Role
We are seeking a Senior Ka-Band Phased Array PCB Design Engineer to lead the design and development of high-performance phased-array antenna electronics for satellite and advanced wireless communication systems.
You will be responsible for the complete PCB development lifecycle—from RF architecture and stack-up definition through schematic capture, layout supervision, fabrication, assembly, bring-up, and RF validation. The role requires deep expertise in Ka-band RF design, phased-array architectures, antenna-in-package or antenna-on-PCB implementations, and high-density mixed-signal PCB development.
You will work closely with antenna, RFIC, mechanical, thermal, digital, FPGA, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams to deliver flight-ready phased-array hardware.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the design of Ka-band phased-array antenna PCBs operating across applicable uplink and downlink frequency bands.
Develop PCB architectures integrating antenna elements, beamformer ICs, RF front-end components, frequency-conversion circuitry, power distribution, control electronics, and high-speed digital interfaces.
Design antenna-on-PCB, antenna-in-package, tile-based, or modular phased-array solutions.
Define low-loss, high-layer-count RF PCB stack-ups, materials, copper structures, surface finishes, impedance requirements, and fabrication tolerances.
Perform transmission-line, transition, via, connector, filter, matching-network, and RF power-distribution design at Ka-band frequencies.
Design and optimize microstrip, stripline, grounded coplanar waveguide, substrate-integrated waveguide, and other RF interconnect structures.
Develop low-loss transitions between PCB structures, beamformer ICs, RF connectors, waveguides, antennas, and packaged devices.
Manage RF routing, phase matching, amplitude matching, channel-to-channel isolation, polarization purity, and array calibration requirements.
Address coupling, scan blindness, grating lobes, surface-wave effects, thermal deformation, and manufacturing variation within the array design.
Collaborate with antenna engineers to optimize element spacing, array geometry, feed architecture, polarization, scan range, gain, sidelobe performance, and axial ratio.
Perform or support electromagnetic simulation using tools such as Ansys HFSS, CST Studio Suite, Keysight ADS, or equivalent.
Conduct signal-integrity and power-integrity analysis for high-speed digital control, clocking, memory, and data-converter interfaces.
Design robust power-distribution networks for beamformer ICs, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, converters, FPGAs, and supporting electronics.
Work with mechanical and thermal teams on heat spreading, cold-plate interfaces, shielding, enclosure integration, flatness, and coefficient-of-thermal-expansion constraints.
Select RF laminates, prepregs, adhesives, connectors, shielding materials, and packaging technologies appropriate for Ka-band and space environments.
Create schematics, PCB layout constraints, fabrication drawings, assembly drawings, impedance tables, material specifications, and manufacturing notes.
Review PCB layouts and provide detailed guidance to internal or external PCB layout engineers.
Work directly with PCB fabricators and assembly partners to resolve design-for-manufacturing, yield, registration, plating, via, lamination, and assembly challenges.
Develop RF test coupons and calibration structures for validating fabricated board performance.
Lead board bring-up, troubleshooting, and characterization using vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise-figure analyzers, oscilloscopes, and near-field or far-field antenna test systems.
Correlate simulated and measured results and implement corrective design changes.
Support phased-array calibration, beam steering, beam pattern measurements, gain-to-noise-temperature measurements, EIRP verification, and over-the-air testing.
Perform design reviews, failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and design-risk assessments.
Support environmental qualification, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, and reliability testing.
Mentor junior engineers and establish internal design rules, simulation methodologies, documentation standards, and PCB review processes.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Microwave Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.
At least 7 years of experience designing RF, microwave, or millimeter-wave PCB hardware.
Demonstrated experience developing hardware operating at Ka-band or comparable millimeter-wave frequencies.
Strong understanding of phased-array antenna architectures, beamforming, RF channel matching, array calibration, and beam-steering principles.
Experience designing multilayer RF PCBs using low-loss materials such as Rogers, Taconic, Panasonic Megtron, Isola, or equivalent laminates.
Strong knowledge of PCB transmission lines, impedance control, dielectric loss, conductor loss, dispersion, surface roughness, via parasitics, resonances, and electromagnetic coupling.
Experience integrating RFICs, beamformer ICs, LNAs, PAs, mixers, PLLs, frequency synthesizers, filters, switches, attenuators, and phase shifters.
Proficiency with at least one electromagnetic simulation platform.
Proficiency with professional PCB design tools such as Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, Altium Designer, or equivalent.
Experience working with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors on complex, high-frequency designs.
Hands-on experience with RF laboratory equipment and millimeter-wave measurement techniques.
Ability to independently lead complex PCB designs from requirements through production and qualification.
Strong technical documentation, design-review, troubleshooting, and cross-functional communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience designing active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) for satellite communications, radar, 5G, defense, aerospace, or high-capacity wireless systems.
Experience with Ka-band satellite systems and communication links.
Experience with dual-polarized arrays and advanced polarization techniques.
Experience integrating phased arrays with FPGAs, RFSoCs, and high-speed digital systems.
Familiarity with hybrid beamforming and tile-based architectures.
Experience with advanced PCB technologies including HDI and microvias.
Understanding of thermal management for high-density RF systems.
Experience designing space-qualified electronics.
Familiarity with aerospace PCB standards.
Experience transitioning prototypes to production.
Familiarity with RF calibration and testing.
Experience leading technical teams.
Success in This Role
Within the first year, the successful candidate will:
Establish PCB architecture and stack-up for a Ka-band phased-array antenna tile.
Complete prototype hardware development and validation.
Demonstrate strong correlation between simulation and measurement.
Resolve key RF and manufacturability challenges.
Establish reusable design rules and processes.
Support successful beam-steering demonstrations.
Develop a path to scalable production.
Role Details
Position: Senior Ka-Band Phased Array PCB Design Engineer
Employment Type: Full-Time
Team: RF & Antenna Systems
Seniority: Senior / Staff / Principal (depending on experience)
Work Arrangement: On-site (Bengaluru)
Travel: Occasional
Show more Show less
We are seeking a Senior Ka-Band Phased Array PCB Design Engineer to lead the design and development of high-performance phased-array antenna electronics for satellite and advanced wireless communication systems.
You will be responsible for the complete PCB development lifecycle—from RF architecture and stack-up definition through schematic capture, layout supervision, fabrication, assembly, bring-up, and RF validation. The role requires deep expertise in Ka-band RF design, phased-array architectures, antenna-in-package or antenna-on-PCB implementations, and high-density mixed-signal PCB development.
You will work closely with antenna, RFIC, mechanical, thermal, digital, FPGA, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams to deliver flight-ready phased-array hardware.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the design of Ka-band phased-array antenna PCBs operating across applicable uplink and downlink frequency bands.
Develop PCB architectures integrating antenna elements, beamformer ICs, RF front-end components, frequency-conversion circuitry, power distribution, control electronics, and high-speed digital interfaces.
Design antenna-on-PCB, antenna-in-package, tile-based, or modular phased-array solutions.
Define low-loss, high-layer-count RF PCB stack-ups, materials, copper structures, surface finishes, impedance requirements, and fabrication tolerances.
Perform transmission-line, transition, via, connector, filter, matching-network, and RF power-distribution design at Ka-band frequencies.
Design and optimize microstrip, stripline, grounded coplanar waveguide, substrate-integrated waveguide, and other RF interconnect structures.
Develop low-loss transitions between PCB structures, beamformer ICs, RF connectors, waveguides, antennas, and packaged devices.
Manage RF routing, phase matching, amplitude matching, channel-to-channel isolation, polarization purity, and array calibration requirements.
Address coupling, scan blindness, grating lobes, surface-wave effects, thermal deformation, and manufacturing variation within the array design.
Collaborate with antenna engineers to optimize element spacing, array geometry, feed architecture, polarization, scan range, gain, sidelobe performance, and axial ratio.
Perform or support electromagnetic simulation using tools such as Ansys HFSS, CST Studio Suite, Keysight ADS, or equivalent.
Conduct signal-integrity and power-integrity analysis for high-speed digital control, clocking, memory, and data-converter interfaces.
Design robust power-distribution networks for beamformer ICs, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, converters, FPGAs, and supporting electronics.
Work with mechanical and thermal teams on heat spreading, cold-plate interfaces, shielding, enclosure integration, flatness, and coefficient-of-thermal-expansion constraints.
Select RF laminates, prepregs, adhesives, connectors, shielding materials, and packaging technologies appropriate for Ka-band and space environments.
Create schematics, PCB layout constraints, fabrication drawings, assembly drawings, impedance tables, material specifications, and manufacturing notes.
Review PCB layouts and provide detailed guidance to internal or external PCB layout engineers.
Work directly with PCB fabricators and assembly partners to resolve design-for-manufacturing, yield, registration, plating, via, lamination, and assembly challenges.
Develop RF test coupons and calibration structures for validating fabricated board performance.
Lead board bring-up, troubleshooting, and characterization using vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise-figure analyzers, oscilloscopes, and near-field or far-field antenna test systems.
Correlate simulated and measured results and implement corrective design changes.
Support phased-array calibration, beam steering, beam pattern measurements, gain-to-noise-temperature measurements, EIRP verification, and over-the-air testing.
Perform design reviews, failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and design-risk assessments.
Support environmental qualification, including thermal cycling, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, and reliability testing.
Mentor junior engineers and establish internal design rules, simulation methodologies, documentation standards, and PCB review processes.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Microwave Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related discipline.
At least 7 years of experience designing RF, microwave, or millimeter-wave PCB hardware.
Demonstrated experience developing hardware operating at Ka-band or comparable millimeter-wave frequencies.
Strong understanding of phased-array antenna architectures, beamforming, RF channel matching, array calibration, and beam-steering principles.
Experience designing multilayer RF PCBs using low-loss materials such as Rogers, Taconic, Panasonic Megtron, Isola, or equivalent laminates.
Strong knowledge of PCB transmission lines, impedance control, dielectric loss, conductor loss, dispersion, surface roughness, via parasitics, resonances, and electromagnetic coupling.
Experience integrating RFICs, beamformer ICs, LNAs, PAs, mixers, PLLs, frequency synthesizers, filters, switches, attenuators, and phase shifters.
Proficiency with at least one electromagnetic simulation platform.
Proficiency with professional PCB design tools such as Cadence Allegro, Siemens Xpedition, Altium Designer, or equivalent.
Experience working with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors on complex, high-frequency designs.
Hands-on experience with RF laboratory equipment and millimeter-wave measurement techniques.
Ability to independently lead complex PCB designs from requirements through production and qualification.
Strong technical documentation, design-review, troubleshooting, and cross-functional communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience designing active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) for satellite communications, radar, 5G, defense, aerospace, or high-capacity wireless systems.
Experience with Ka-band satellite systems and communication links.
Experience with dual-polarized arrays and advanced polarization techniques.
Experience integrating phased arrays with FPGAs, RFSoCs, and high-speed digital systems.
Familiarity with hybrid beamforming and tile-based architectures.
Experience with advanced PCB technologies including HDI and microvias.
Understanding of thermal management for high-density RF systems.
Experience designing space-qualified electronics.
Familiarity with aerospace PCB standards.
Experience transitioning prototypes to production.
Familiarity with RF calibration and testing.
Experience leading technical teams.
Success in This Role
Within the first year, the successful candidate will:
Establish PCB architecture and stack-up for a Ka-band phased-array antenna tile.
Complete prototype hardware development and validation.
Demonstrate strong correlation between simulation and measurement.
Resolve key RF and manufacturability challenges.
Establish reusable design rules and processes.
Support successful beam-steering demonstrations.
Develop a path to scalable production.
Role Details
Position: Senior Ka-Band Phased Array PCB Design Engineer
Employment Type: Full-Time
Team: RF & Antenna Systems
Seniority: Senior / Staff / Principal (depending on experience)
Work Arrangement: On-site (Bengaluru)
Travel: Occasional
Show more Show less