RF Engineer

Solinnov; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Solinnov is seeking a mid- to senior-level RF engineer to design, develop and verify RF hardware for SDR and RF products, reporting to the Productisation Manager. You will collaborate with electronics, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems engineers to bring concept designs through to production.

The role offers hands-on responsibilities across design, verification and integration with opportunities for mentoring and architectural input, with Melbourne or Adelaide as preferred locations.

Qualifications

• Practical RF design experience, with ownership of defined RF or microwave designs or subsystems and the ability to explain key design decisions, trade-offs and results.
• Hands-on RF laboratory experience, including prototype bring-up, tuning, testing, fault-finding and verification using appropriate RF test equipment.
• Sound RF fundamentals, including impedance matching, transmission lines, S-parameters, gain, noise and linearity.
• Ability to communicate and document engineering work clearly and collaborate across disciplines.
• A degree in electrical, electronics, RF engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Australian citizenship and eligibility for an NV1 security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Translate system requirements into RF designs, budgets, component selections and verification plans.
• Design and develop RF hardware including power amplifiers, frequency converters, filters, signal distribution and RF front ends, using analysis, simulation and prototyping to refine solutions.
• Bring up, tune, characterise, debug and verify RF hardware in the laboratory, maintaining clear records of design decisions and performance.
• Work across engineering disciplines to integrate RF hardware into complete SDR and RF products.
• Support design for manufacture and test, supplier discussions, production testing, and investigation of production or field issues.
• Participate in design reviews and contribute to the team’s RF knowledge, tools and laboratory practices.

Skills

RF design experience

Hands-on RF laboratory experience

Impedance matching and S-parameters

Ability to communicate and document工程

Education

Degree in electrical, electronics, RF engineering or related discipline

Tools

ADS

AWR

HFSS

CST

Sonnet

Job description

Full-time | Melbourne preferred; Adelaide considered for the right candidate

About Solinnov

Solinnov develops high-performance systems for complex signal-processing applications in wireless communications, electronic warfare and radar. Our core expertise is FPGA-based software-defined radios, supported by in-house firmware, software, electronics, mechanical, systems and product development capabilities.

We primarily support Australian Government and Defence customers and are expanding our RF and hardware capability to design and manufacture more of the critical subsystems used in our products. We have engineering teams in Melbourne and Adelaide and value curiosity, initiative, continuous learning and practical collaboration across disciplines.

The Role

Reporting to the Productisation Manager, you will design, develop and verify RF hardware as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, taking ownership of defined designs and subsystems with scope matched to your experience.

Mid-level engineers will have the opportunity to broaden their RF capability with support from an experienced RF specialist. Senior engineers will take greater responsibility for architecture, technical decisions, design reviews and mentoring.

The role is hands‑on and works closely with electronics, FPGA, software, mechanical, systems and productisation engineers to develop RF hardware from concept through to integration and production.

Day to Day

Translate system requirements into RF designs, budgets, component selections and verification plans.

Design and develop RF hardware including power amplifiers, frequency converters, filters, signal distribution and RF front ends, using analysis, simulation and prototyping to refine solutions.

Bring up, tune, characterise, debug and verify RF hardware in the laboratory, maintaining clear records of design decisions and performance.

Work across engineering disciplines to integrate RF hardware into complete SDR and RF products.

Support design for manufacture and test, supplier discussions, production testing, and investigation of production or field issues.

Participate in design reviews and contribute to the team’s RF knowledge, tools and laboratory practices.

Skills and Experience

We do not expect experience across every circuit type, frequency band or application listed. Practical RF design experience, sound fundamentals and strong laboratory skills matter more than matching every example.

Practical RF design experience, with ownership of defined RF or microwave designs or subsystems and the ability to explain key design decisions, trade‑offs and results.

Hands‑on RF laboratory experience, including prototype bring‑up, tuning, testing, fault‑finding and verification using appropriate RF test equipment.

Sound RF fundamentals, including impedance matching, transmission lines, S‑parameters, gain, noise and linearity.

Ability to communicate and document engineering work clearly and collaborate across disciplines.

A practical problem‑solving approach, willingness to learn and sound judgement on when to seek specialist input.

A degree in electrical, electronics, RF engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Australian citizenship and eligibility for an NV1 security clearance.

Valuable but Not Required

• Design experience with power amplifiers, frequency conversion, filters or RF front ends.
• Experience at X‑band, Ku‑band or higher frequencies, or transferable RF design experience at other frequencies.
• Knowledge of stability, compression, intermodulation, phase noise, shielding, grounding and system‑level RF performance.
• Experience with SDRs, wideband RF systems, radar, electronic warfare or communications systems.
• RF circuit or electromagnetic simulation using tools such as ADS, AWR, HFSS, CST or Sonnet.
• RF PCB layout, controlled‑impedance structures, stack‑up design, shielding, thermal design or connectorisation.
• Exposure to design for manufacture and test, production testing, EMC, compliance or spectrum‑management activities.
• Experience with ruggedised, defence, aerospace, telecommunications or other high‑reliability products.
• For senior applicants, experience reviewing designs, guiding technical decisions or mentoring others would also be valued.

Why Join Solinnov

You’ll work on real hardware used in Australian Defence platforms and systems, with meaningful design ownership and the opportunity to see your work progress from the bench into the field. Supported by specialist RF expertise and a multidisciplinary engineering team, you’ll be able to deepen your existing strengths, develop capability in new areas, and contribute in a friendly, self‑motivated environment.

We offer:

• Study and professional development assistance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Flexible work‑from‑home arrangements, with regular onsite work expected for laboratory, integration and hands‑on engineering activities.
• A culture built around curiosity, collaboration and “geeks having fun”.