Senior RF Systems Engineer

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• System Architecture & Product Definition: Translate customer requirements and mission needs into top-level RF system architectures, hardware specifications, and product features.
• Customer Engagement: Serve as a primary technical interface for customers, guiding them through system integration, conducting design reviews, and matching product capabilities to their operational needs.
• Link & System Modeling: Develop and maintain end-to-end communication system models, detailed link budgets, and RF lineup analyses (including cascaded noise figure, linearity, and phase noise) to optimize product performance.
• Product Development Lifecycle: Drive RF systems from initial concept and prototyping through regulatory compliance testing, manufacturing scale-up, and field deployment.
• Verification & Validation: Lead integrated system-level testing, validating physical-layer and product-level metrics such as EIRP, G/T, EVM, BER, and throughput under real-world conditions.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with RF design, DSP, embedded software, and product management teams to guide feature implementation and resolve complex system-level anomalies.
• Regulatory & Compliance Support: Assist in securing regulatory approvals (ITU, FCC, etc.) by analyzing spectral compliance, co-existence, and emissions profiles.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Communications Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience: 5+ years of experience in RF systems engineering, communication system architecture, or RF product development.
• Technical Foundation: Deep understanding of RF front-end architectures, transceiver design, and digital communication theory (modulation schemes, coding, and physical layer protocols).
• Analytical Tools: Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or similar scripting languages for modeling RF lineups, link budgets, and data analysis.
• Lab Expertise: Hands-on experience with RF laboratory test equipment, including spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, and vector signal generators/analyzers.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Customer-Facing Success: Proven track record in a technical sales, applications engineering, or systems engineering role interfacing directly with external customers or partners.
• Product Delivery: Experience bringing commercial RF or wireless communication hardware products from concept through high-volume production.
• Advanced Link Analysis: Strong expertise in complex link budget modeling, propagation impairment analysis, and interference mitigation.
• Signal Integrity & Metrics: Deep familiarity with physical-layer performance optimization, including EVM, BER, PAPR, and adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR).
• Standards & Modems: Familiarity with satellite or terrestrial wireless standards (e.g., DVB-S2X, 3GPP/5G, CCSDS) and integrated modem architectures.
• Regulatory Familiarity: Experience working with FCC/NTIA/ITU spectrum regulations and RF compliance testing standards.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• RF Systems Engineer/Level 3: $150,000 - $180,000 per year
• RF Systems Engineer/Level 4: $180,000 - $200,000 per year
• RF Systems Engineer/Level 5: $200,000 - $230,000 per year

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Northwood. You may also be eligible for equity in the form of stock options or other long-term incentives, as well as potential performance bonuses. We offer comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, generous paid time off, and various other perks and discounts.