RF Systems Engineer

About The Role:

This role requires strong RF fundamentals, broad electrical systems experience, and the ability to move quickly from architecture to hardware integration and test. You will work closely with avionics, GNC, flight software, manufacturing, quality, test, and operations teams to deliver reliable communication, telemetry, navigation, and sensor/instrumentation systems.

Responsibilities:

• Define RF system requirements, architectures, interfaces, and verification approaches.
• Develop block diagrams, link budgets, interface documentation, test plans, and integration procedures.
• Design, build, integrate, and test RF hardware including antennas, radios, RF modules, cabling, connectors, and supporting electrical assemblies.
• Execute RF testing, including conducted RF tests, antenna measurements, environmental testing, and system-level validation.
• Troubleshoot RF performance issues and drive corrective actions through design, build, integration, and test.
• Support aircraft and ground station integration, ground test, flight test, and off-nominal troubleshooting.
• Analyze RF test and flight data, document results, and communicate risks and recommendations.
• Support regulatory coordination related to FCC, FAA, AFTRCC, and other RF spectrum or flight test requirements.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience with RF, antenna, radio, telemetry, communication, or electrical systems.
• Experience with RF/electrical test equipment such as VNAs, spectrum analyzers, power meters, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and multimeters.
• Strong RF fundamentals, including propagation, impedance matching, VSWR, gain/loss, noise figure, filtering, and link performance.
• Experience developing RF test plans, procedures, setups, or data analysis workflows.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting skills in lab, integration, or test environments.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and clearly communicate technical tradeoffs, results, risks, and recommendations.
• Bias toward action and willingness to work hands-on with hardware.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree focused on antennas, RF systems, microwave circuits, communications, or related field.
• Experience with L, S, C, Ku, or Ka-band systems.
• Aerospace, defense, aircraft, spacecraft, UAV, missile, or flight test experience.
• Experience with antennas, telemetry, radios, navigation, communication links, or RF instrumentation.
• Familiarity with modulation schemes such as QAM, BPSK, QPSK, or SOQPSK.
• Experience with HFSS, CST, FEKO, ADS, MATLAB, Python, or similar tools.
• Hands-on prototyping skills, including soldering, cable fabrication, and connectorization.
• EMI/EMC or qualification testing experience, including MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-464, or DO-160.
• Startup, rapid prototyping, or agile hardware development experience.
• Ability to travel on short notice for integration, ground test, or flight test support.