Sr. RF Engineer

Position Overview:

• Senior RF (Radio Frequency) Engineer
• Full-Time
• Hybrid / On-Site, based on business and program requirements
• Up to 50% travel

The Senior RF Engineer is a designated subject matter expert for the architecture, analysis, design, integration, verification, and maturation of radio frequency and microwave subsystems supporting advanced radar and sensor products. The role owns RF technical integrity within assigned scope and helps move designs from mission need and early concept through prototype, qualification, repeatable production, field integration, and operational use.

This position requires both deep analytical capability and a hands-on engineering approach. The Senior RF Engineer will work across antennas and apertures, transmit and receive chains, RF front ends, frequency generation and distribution, calibration, digital interfaces, signal processing, mechanical and thermal design, manufacturing, and system integration to deliver reliable performance in contested and operationally demanding environments.

The Senior RF Engineer operates within established program and technical governance. Program Managers retain accountability for program execution, while designated system and technical authorities retain approval responsibilities within their charters. The Senior RF Engineer provides authoritative RF analysis and recommendations within that structure.

Duties & Responsibilities

RF Architecture and Design

• Translate customer, mission, and system requirements into clear RF subsystem requirements, performance budgets, interface definitions, design criteria, and verification methods.
• Develop and mature RF architectures for radar and sensor systems, including antennas and apertures, transmit and receive chains, exciters and frequency sources, amplifiers, filters, RF distribution, interconnects, calibration functions, and interfaces to digital hardware and signal-processing subsystems.
• Perform and review RF performance analyses covering gain and loss, noise figure, sensitivity, dynamic range, linearity, phase noise, spectral purity, spurious response, isolation, timing, power handling, stability, and system margin.
• Lead technical trades that balance mission performance, size, weight, power, and cost; producibility; testability; reliability; thermal and environmental constraints; component availability; technical risk; cost; and schedule.
• Design or review RF and microwave circuits, printed circuit board assemblies, modules, chassis, cable and waveguide interfaces, and integrated hardware in accordance with assigned program scope.

Modeling, Analysis, and Technical Baseline

• Develop, apply, and correlate circuit, electromagnetic, antenna, propagation, link-budget, and system-level models using appropriate engineering tools and measured data.
• Evaluate phased-array and active electronically scanned array performance considerations, including beamforming architecture, scan performance, sidelobes, mutual coupling, calibration, element or channel variation, and integration effects, when applicable.
• Work with systems, algorithms, software, and digital engineering teams to assess waveform, receiver, processing, synchronization, data-interface, and calibration implications across the end-to-end sensor architecture.
• Maintain analytical assumptions, margins, models, technical decisions, risks, and verification evidence in a form that is traceable, reviewable, and suitable for customer and program decision-making.
• Identify technical gaps and emerging risks early; develop options, trades, and practical mitigation plans that connect RF performance to program cost, schedule, manufacturing, test, and delivery impacts.

Integration, Verification, and Test

• Develop and review RF verification strategies, requirements verification matrices, test plans, procedures, acceptance criteria, calibration methods, test configurations, and technical reports.
• Plan and execute hands-on laboratory, integration-site, test-range, and field activities using vector network analyzers, spectrum and signal analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters, noise-figure equipment, and other specialized RF instrumentation.
• Integrate and troubleshoot RF hardware with antennas, digital receivers and exciters, FPGAs or RF system-on-chip devices, signal-processing software, power systems, mechanical and thermal assemblies, and platform interfaces.
• Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of complex RF performance issues, nonconformances, intermittent failures, calibration discrepancies, electromagnetic interference, and test anomalies.
• Correlate predicted and measured performance; document variances, update models and margins, and establish evidence that assigned requirements and customer acceptance criteria are satisfied.
• Support environmental qualification, electromagnetic compatibility, safety, test readiness reviews, customer demonstrations, and operational evaluations in secure and controlled environments.

Productization, Manufacturing, and Supplier Support

• Apply design-for-manufacturing and design-for-test principles to transition prototype RF designs into stable, repeatable, supportable, and cost-effective production configurations.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, technicians, and external partners to develop production test approaches, acceptance procedures, work instructions, test fixtures, calibration processes, and manufacturing data packages.
• Provide technical oversight of suppliers, subcontractors, and external design partners, including review of designs, analyses, component selections, technical data, qualification evidence, factory test results, and delivered hardware.
• Support component selection, parts derating, obsolescence planning, alternate-source evaluation, failure review, corrective action, and engineering changes while protecting the approved technical baseline.
• Maintain configuration discipline, interface control, design-release records, analysis files, test data, and technical documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

Executive and Customer Communication

• Serve as the RF subject matter expert for system requirements reviews, preliminary and critical design reviews, technical interchange meetings, test readiness reviews, production readiness activities, and customer technical engagements.
• Prepare and deliver concise, decision-ready technical briefings for executives and customers that translate complex RF concepts, analyses, and test results into audience-appropriate language while preserving the assumptions, uncertainty, limitations, technical risk, and program implications that matter to the decision.
• Lead or support customer technical discussions within assigned scope; use active listening and clarifying questions to understand mission objectives, technical concerns, priorities, and acceptance criteria, and document decisions, actions, owners, and unresolved items to ensure reliable follow-through.
• Communicate adverse technical findings, performance shortfalls, and emerging risk early and directly, with supporting evidence, likely impact, viable options, and a recommended path forward; maintain professional composure when technical conclusions are challenged.
• Coordinate customer-facing technical positions, requests, and potential commitments through the responsible Program Manager, Contracts representative, or designated authority; do not independently make commitments regarding scope, cost, schedule, deliverables, acceptance, or company positions.

Technical Leadership and Growth

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to RF, electrical, systems, integration and test, and technician personnel; establish review practices and engineering standards appropriate to program maturity and risk.
• Support research and development, customer shaping, white papers, technical proposals, basis-of-estimate development, demonstrations, and transition planning from opportunity through program execution.
• Identify opportunities for reusable architectures, modular interfaces, common design elements, and automation that improve performance, affordability, producibility, maintainability, and speed to field.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of customer, program, and business objectives.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, electromagnetics, applied physics, computer engineering, or a closely related technical discipline from an accredited institution.
• At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in RF or microwave engineering, or at least 10 years with a relevant master's degree. A relevant doctoral degree may substitute for additional experience consistent with company policy.
• Substantial experience designing, analyzing, integrating, testing, or transitioning RF and microwave subsystems for radar, advanced sensors, electronic warfare, communications, missile defense, aerospace, or another complex defense application.
• Demonstrated ownership of RF technical work across multiple lifecycle phases, from requirements and architecture through detailed design, integration, verification, qualification, production transition, and field support.
• Strong command of RF and microwave engineering fundamentals, including transmission lines, impedance matching, S-parameters, noise, nonlinear effects, frequency conversion, filtering, amplification, stability, electromagnetic propagation, and antenna interfaces.
• Experience developing RF budgets, conducting technical trades, interpreting measured data, and connecting component- and subsystem-level performance to system mission performance.
• Hands-on experience with RF laboratory instrumentation and disciplined debug, calibration, characterization, and test methods.
• Proficiency with one or more relevant modeling, simulation, layout, or analysis tools, such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, Ansys HFSS, CST Studio Suite, FEKO, MATLAB, Python, Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent tools.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams that include systems, digital hardware, firmware, software, signal processing, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, quality, and integration and test disciplines.
• Experience preparing and reviewing technical requirements, interface documentation, analyses, drawings or schematics, test plans, test reports, and formal design-review materials.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to make defensible technical recommendations when data, requirements, or constraints are incomplete.
• Demonstrated experience briefing customer, program, or executive audiences on complex technical subjects.
• Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, including active listening, professional disagreement, and the ability to build alignment across multidisciplinary teams.
• Currently holds an active U.S. national security clearance or be able to receive and maintain one. To learn more about the security clearance process please access this link. 

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required) 

• Master's or doctoral degree in electrical engineering, RF or microwave engineering, electromagnetics, applied physics, or a related discipline.
• Recent experience supporting advanced radar, sensor, or electronic warfare programs with direct engagement of U.S. Government technical stakeholders.
• Experience with active electronically scanned arrays, phased-array antennas, analog or digital beamforming, array calibration, low-sidelobe design, interference mitigation, or distributed and networked apertures.
• Experience with low size, weight, power, and cost (low-SWaP-C) radar or sensor architectures; high-power transmitters; low-noise receivers; transmit/receive modules; RF system-on-chip devices; high-speed converters; or software-defined RF systems.
• Experience with antenna and RF measurement facilities, including anechoic, compact, near-field, or far-field ranges and the development of automated measurement and calibration methods.
• Experience applying electromagnetic compatibility and environmental qualification requirements, including applicable MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-810, or equivalent standards.