Senior RF Engineer

We are looking for a Senior RF Engineer to take ownership of the radio communication subsystem across the full development cycle from RF architecture and PCB design to embedded firmware, system integration, laboratory characterization, and field validation.
The role requires strong hands-on experience with RF hardware, antennas, embedded systems, digital communications, and communication links operating in complex and interference-heavy environments.
Scope of Expertise
RF Front End and Antennas
RF circuit and PCB design, controlled impedance, and impedance matching.
Receiver and transmitter chains: LNA, power amplifiers, filtering, and noise figure optimization.
Frequency synthesis, phase noise, shielding, and power supply design for RF subsystems.
Antenna integration on compact mobile platforms, including placement, radiation patterns, VSWR, and isolation between co-located radio systems.
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Mitigation of interference generated by compute modules, motor controllers, switching regulators, and power electronics.
Protection of GNSS receivers from onboard electromagnetic interference.
EMI/EMC analysis and practical mitigation at board and system level.
Signals, Protocols, and Networking
Modulation schemes, forward error correction, and trade-offs between range, data rate, and robustness.
Frequency hopping and spread-spectrum techniques.
Synchronization between radio nodes.
Mesh networking: multiple access, airtime scheduling, relaying, routing, and network degradation/recovery after node loss.
Understanding of LoRa / LPWAN technologies, including their capabilities and practical limitations.
MAVLink protocol structure, telemetry streams, and integration with flight controllers.
Embedded Firmware
STM32 development in C using HAL/LL.
MCU peripherals, DMA, interrupts, and timers.
Low-level communication with radio transceivers via SPI, UART, and I2C.
Embedded firmware debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other laboratory tools.
Operation in Contested RF Environments
Anti-jamming techniques and frequency agility.
Detection of interference or jamming and adaptive channel response.
Approaches to reducing the probability of detection and interception.
Communication-link robustness against spoofing and intentional interference.
RF Measurement and Validation
Link-budget calculation and analysis.
Spectrum analyzer and vector network analyzer operation.
Development of laboratory and field test methodologies.
Quantitative characterization of communication-link performance under interference.
Support for regulatory testing and certification.

Responsibilities:
Audit the existing RF subsystem, including schematics, PCB layout, RF front end, and antenna architecture.
Identify technical risks and prepare a clear improvement and revision plan.
Design and release the next revision of the RF PCB, from schematic capture through laboratory characterization.
Develop firmware for STM32-based radio modules, including transceiver drivers, protocol-layer functionality, and node synchronization.
Build and maintain a link-budget model for the target system, including degraded and worst-case scenarios.
Develop antenna solutions and ensure compatibility between multiple co-located radio systems.
Contribute to mesh-network architecture, including channel parameters, node-loss behavior, network recovery, and fallback routing.
Integrate the telemetry link with the flight controller via MAVLink.
Define and execute laboratory and field validation campaigns.
Quantitatively evaluate communication-link performance under interference and jamming.
Produce technical documentation suitable for external technical review.
Support preparation for regulatory certification.
Perform technical evaluation of RF-related suppliers and components.

Out of Scope:
This role does not cover:
autonomous navigation and flight-control software;
computer vision;
airframe mechanical design;
ground control station software.

Required Qualifications:
7+ years of professional experience in RF and wireless communication systems, with hardware that has been successfully brought to production or real-world deployment.
Proven experience across the full development cycle:
schematic PCB layout firmware bring-up field validation.
Strong STM32 programming skills in C.
Hands-on experience with antenna integration on compact or mobile platforms.
Strong practical experience with RF measurement equipment.
Solid understanding of digital communications sufficient to make engineering decisions regarding channel parameters and system architecture.
Ability to produce clear technical documentation in English.
Comfortable working in a small engineering team with tight deadlines and an evolving technical scope.
Nice to Have
Practical experience with mesh networks beyond simple point-to-point communication.
Experience with electronic warfare environments, anti-jamming techniques, or operation in congested RF spectrum.
Experience with unmanned systems, avionics, or platforms with strict size, weight, power, and energy constraints.
Production experience with LoRa and MAVLink.
Experience taking a radio product through regulatory certification.