Senior RF Data Link Engineer

Date posted: March 18, 2026 • Tucson, AZ (onsite) • U.S. citizenship and active/transferable DoD Secret clearance required prior to start.

About the role

Raytheon’s Advanced Effector Guidance Systems team is seeking Electrical Engineers with wireless-communication and data-link design experience. In this role you will design, prototype, and test high-capacity, covert, and agile data-link technologies for space-based and terrestrial RF applications within the RF Products department.

Responsibilities

• Perform and evaluate concept and performance trade studies, link-budget analyses, and demonstrate developed capabilities for data-link communication applications.
• Conduct hardware and software communication-architecture trade studies.
• Develop, prototype, and test data-link models and communication signal-processing algorithms in high-fidelity simulations; support hardware implementation.
• Collaborate with customers and stakeholders to capture requirements, provide technical support, and manage program delivery schedules.
• Provide engineering support through design reviews, peer reviews, briefings to internal leadership and external customers across all development phases.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience.
• Five years of programming and/or simulation experience in MATLAB, SIMULINK, C/C++, or equivalent language.
• Five years of experience and/or coursework in two or more of the following:
  • Communication theory
  • Digital signal processing
  • Probability theory
  • Stochastic signal processing
  • RF and electromagnetic theory

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in electrical or computer engineering with a focus on digital communications, communications-systems design, data-link hardware development, waveform-algorithm development, or digital signal processing.
• Experience with RF subsystem system engineering.
• Waveform simulations using modulation schemes such as PSK, FSK, OFDM, and QAM.
• Familiarity with common RF impairments: phase noise, multipath, and Doppler.
• Link-budget and propagation modeling for end-to-end system evaluation.
• Strong understanding of RF transceiver and front-end design tradeoffs for communication systems.
• Familiarity with antenna design parameters.
• Fixed-point algorithm simulations for VHDL verification.
• Wireless fading-model simulation.
• Knowledge of Layer 2 and above.
• Strong technical and interpersonal skills; ability to support enterprise initiatives.
• Ability to prepare documentation with minimal oversight.
• Background in designing for manufacturability, producibility, and cost constraints.
• Group management, leadership, and strong communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with ability to proactively identify alternate solutions to technical challenges.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short/long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) match.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee Scholar Program (tuition assistance).
• Parental leave.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs (eligibility dependent on role level and collective-bargaining status).
• Relocation assistance for this onsite role in Tucson, AZ.

Pay

Salary range: $86,800 – $165,200 USD (good-faith estimate representative of all experience levels).