We are an engineering staffing agency specialized in recruiting personnel for the defense and aerospace industry. Our client is a leading provider of cutting-edge technology solutions serving the defense, civil government, and commercial sectors. With a strong reputation for innovation, they design and manufacture mission-critical systems such as Command and Control Systems, avionics and electronic systems, wireless communication equipment, tactical radios, night vision devices, and more. Their RF Engineering team plays a crucial role in developing high-performance RF systems that enable secure, reliable, and efficient communication for military, aerospace, and industrial applications.
They are seeking a highly skilled RF Engineer with over 10 years of experience in designing, testing, and optimizing RF circuits, antennas, and microwave systems. This role is ideal for a professional who has a strong understanding of RF hardware design, electromagnetic theory, digital signal processing (DSP), and modern wireless communication protocols.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and test RF and microwave systems for applications in defense, aerospace, and telecommunications industries.
- Develop high-frequency circuits, RF front-end designs, power amplifiers, filters, and transceivers to support mission-critical communications.
- Work on frequency bands ranging from MHz to GHz, including UHF, VHF, L-band, S-band, C-band, and Ku-band.
- Utilize EM simulation software (such as HFSS, CST Studio, and ADS) to optimize antenna designs, waveguides, and RF subsystems.
- Conduct RF system analysis, link budget calculations, and interference mitigation to ensure optimal performance in challenging environments.
- Develop and implement test procedures for RF circuits and subsystems, performing bench-level debugging, tuning, and validation.
- Collaborate with PCB layout engineers to design high-speed, low-noise RF circuits with proper grounding, shielding, and EMI/EMC compliance.
- Integrate RF systems with digital processing units, FPGA-based platforms, and software-defined radio (SDR) architectures.
- Perform RF measurements such as VSWR, S-parameters, noise figure, and power measurements using spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, oscilloscopes, and signal generators.
- Ensure compliance with FCC, MIL-STD-461 (EMC/EMI), ITU, and other industry standards for RF design and testing.
- Document technical designs, write design review reports, test plans, and compliance reports, and participate in cross-functional design reviews.
- Stay updated on emerging RF technologies and contribute to R&D efforts for next-generation wireless and communication systems.
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related field (Master’s or Ph.D. preferred).
- Certification in Wireless Communication, RF Engineering, or Antenna Design (e.g., IEEE, NI LabVIEW RF Certification) is a plus.
Required Skills and Experience
- 10+ years of experience in RF circuit design, antenna design, microwave engineering, and wireless communication systems.
- Expertise in RF circuit simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, Ansys HFSS, CST Studio, or AWR Microwave Office.
- Proficiency in hardware design and PCB layout using Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or Mentor Graphics.
- Strong understanding of RF propagation, waveguides, filters, and impedance matching techniques.
- Hands-on experience with RF measurement and testing equipment, including vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.
- Knowledge of wireless communication standards, including LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SATCOM, and 5G NR.
- Experience designing RF components for ruggedized military and aerospace applications compliant with MIL-STD-461, DO-160, and FCC regulations.
- Familiarity with software-defined radio (SDR) platforms such as Ettus USRP, Xilinx RFSoC, and GNU Radio.
- Understanding of EMC/EMI mitigation techniques, shielding, and interference suppression methods.
- Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or C++ for RF system modeling, signal processing, and automation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with high-power RF amplifiers, phased arrays, and radar systems.
- Background in FPGA programming for RF applications (VHDL/Verilog).
- Knowledge of millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology and RFIC/MMIC design.
- Experience with SATCOM, GPS, or tactical radio communication systems.
- Prior work on defense or aerospace projects requiring security clearance is a plus.
