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Shield AI is seeking a Staff RF Engineer to design, develop, integrate, and field RF and microwave systems for next-generation autonomous aircraft. This role combines technical rigor with hands-on engineering in an accelerated development environment focused on transitioning concepts into operational capability.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own RF and microwave module designs end-to-end: from requirements and architecture through schematic capture, component selection, PCB layout, bring-up, verification, qualification, and production release.
- 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; correlate 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.
- Contribute to design reviews, share technical knowledge, and mentor other engineers at a level appropriate to the position.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Hands-on experience owning an RF or microwave circuit, module, or PCB assembly through fabrication, bring-up, debugging, and measured verification.
- Strong 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:
- Experience with RF front ends for airborne, defense, space, robotics, or other high-reliability systems.
- Experience integrating GaN or GaAs power amplifiers, MMICs, LNAs, switches, limiters, frequency converters, or high-selectivity filter technologies.
- Experience designing for simultaneous transmit and receive operation, high-power RF, intermodulation control, adjacent-band rejection, or co-site interference and desense.
- Experience with Altium Designer and one or more RF or electromagnetic simulation environments such as ADS, AWR, HFSS, or CST.
- Working knowledge of thermal design, RF packaging, connector and cable interfaces, tolerance analysis, and design for manufacturability and test.
- Experience with EMI and EMC design and qualification for military or aerospace hardware.
- Experience developing automated characterization or data-analysis tools in Python, MATLAB, or similar environment.
- Experience transitioning RF hardware from prototype through qualification and low-rate production.
- Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance, including access at the S/SAR level, if required by the program.
