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Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company developing autonomous systems, aircraft platforms, and simulation technologies to protect service members and civilians. The company operates globally with offices across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
As an RF Engineer II, you will design and develop RF and microwave modules across the full lifecycle: from requirements and architecture through schematic capture, component selection, PCB layout, bring-up, verification, qualification, and production release. Your scope and independence will be appropriate to the mid-level position.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design active and passive RF circuits including low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, filters, multiplexers, RF switches, limiters, couplers, attenuators, power detectors, and frequency-conversion stages.
- Develop RF front-end assemblies meeting gain, noise figure, output power, linearity, compression, efficiency, harmonic and spurious-emission, stability, isolation, and out-of-band rejection requirements.
- Perform circuit and electromagnetic analysis using tools such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, HFSS, or CST, correlating models with measured hardware performance.
- Create and review RF and mixed-signal PCB designs with controlled-impedance routing, grounding, shielding, stack-up definition, power distribution, and sensitive component placement.
- Plan and execute laboratory characterization using network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise-figure analyzers, power meters, oscilloscopes, and automated test equipment.
- Diagnose complex hardware issues involving instability, oscillation, intermodulation, self-interference, desense, thermal drift, mismatch, leakage, and electromagnetic coupling.
- Collaborate with mechanical, thermal, avionics, communications, antenna, manufacturing, and test engineers to integrate RF hardware within size, weight, power, cooling, and environmental constraints.
- Develop verification methods, production test strategies, calibration approaches, and technical documentation ensuring designs are repeatable and manufacturable.
- Support environmental and electromagnetic qualification, supplier engagements, hardware integration, ground test, and flight test activities.
- Contribute to design reviews, share technical knowledge, and mentor interns and less-experienced engineers as appropriate to the role.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically 2 or more years of relevant post-undergraduate experience (or equivalent graduate study and research). Demonstrated capability and scope are more important than years alone.
- Hands-on experience designing, building, or debugging an RF or microwave circuit, module, or PCB assembly through measured verification.
- Solid understanding of S-parameters, impedance matching, transmission lines, stability, gain and noise figure, linearity and compression, nonlinear products, isolation, and cascaded RF performance.
- Experience creating or reviewing RF PCB layouts with controlled impedance, grounding, shielding, component placement, and signal-integrity considerations.
- Proficiency with common RF laboratory instruments and calibration methods, with ability to distinguish hardware behavior from measurement artifacts.
- Ability to use simulation and measured data to make sound design decisions, document tradeoffs, and close requirements with objective evidence.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Ability to work on-site in a laboratory and hardware-development environment.
Preferred qualifications include experience with RF front ends for airborne, defense, space, robotics, or high-reliability systems; GaN/GaAs power amplifiers and MMICs; simultaneous transmit and receive operation; Altium Designer and RF/electromagnetic simulation tools; thermal design and RF packaging; EMI/EMC design for military/aerospace hardware; automated characterization tools in Python or MATLAB; and ability to obtain S//SAR level security clearance.
