RF Engineer IV/V/VI

About the role

The RF Engineer at Zone 5 Technologies is responsible for leading the design, analysis, and integration of RF and antenna systems across our diverse portfolio of products. This role requires a deep understanding of RF architectures, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with various engineering disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Design, model, simulate, and integrate RF and antenna systems across multiple frequency bands and technologies.
• Define RF system requirements and drive architecture decisions through analysis, trade studies, and feasibility assessments.
• Perform RF analysis including link budgets, antenna patterns, RF chain performance, interference/desense, and installed system effects.
• Develop and validate RF/data link models and communication performance simulations.
• Conduct hardware and software trade studies to optimize RF system performance, robustness, and scalability.
• Support design, prototyping, integration, and qualification of wireless communication systems.
• Debug and characterize RF issues including noise sources, interference, and aggressor/victim interactions.
• Integrate RF subsystems with avionics, payloads, and platform constraints to ensure end-to-end system performance.
• Develop and maintain internal RF modeling, simulation, and analysis tools.
• Support test activities including lab validation, ground testing, and flight test data analysis.
• Present technical findings in design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and leadership discussions.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to RF engineering standards and best practices.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in RF system design, analysis, or integration.
• Strong experience with RF architectures including transceivers, front-end design, and antenna integration.
• Familiarization with MANET radios (e.g. Silvus, Persistent Systems, DTC, or similar).
• Proficiency with RF modeling and simulation tools (e.g., HFSS, CST, ADS, or similar).
• Experience performing RF system analysis (interference, system performance).
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, UDP, multicast, RTSP, and other transmission protocols, with the ability to perform link budget and data throughput analysis.
• Hands-on experience with RF test equipment (spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators).
• Programming or scripting experience (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C/C++, bash) for modeling and data analysis.
• Strong troubleshooting skills in complex RF environments.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate effectively across IPTs.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with Electronic Warfare (EW) or contested electromagnetic environments.
• Familiarity with communication systems, signal processing, and data link design.
• Experience with PCB design tools (e.g., Altium) and hardware implementation.
• Understanding of antenna theory and real-world integration constraints.
• Experience designing for manufacturability, cost, and production scalability.
• Experience supporting flight test or deployed RF systems.
• Active or eligible for U.S. DoD security clearance.

Benefits

A competitive total compensation package includes comprehensive benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and more. We also offer a 401(k) plan with company match, 12 paid holidays, and 4 weeks of paid time off annually.

Pay Range

Pay ranges for this role are as follows:

• Level IV - $138,000 USD - $164,000 USD
• Level V - $164,000 USD - $191,000 USD
• Level VI - $191,000 USD - $244,000 USD