RF Engineer

NovAtel Inc.; Calgary; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NovAtel Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, seeks an RF Engineer to advance RF GNSS front-end subsystems and anti-jam products. You will design, simulate, and verify RF circuits, collaborate with mechanical, digital, and systems teams, and contribute to robust product development.

The role emphasizes hands-on lab work, schematic design, and testing using RF equipment, with opportunities to influence design practices and documentation across projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline with a focus on RF, Microwave, or Communications systems
• 2+ years of RF engineering experience focused on circuit-level design and analysis
• Familiarity with RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, network analyzers (VNAs), signal generators, and oscilloscopes
• Understanding of RF circuit blocks (e.g., filters, LNAs, mixers, oscillators, PLLs, splitters, diplexers)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment

Responsibilities

• Architecture, design, and development of RF front-end subsystems for GNSS receiver and antijam products
• Perform schematic design and collaborate on PCB layout for RF circuits, including filters, amplifiers, and matching networks
• Conduct simulations using industry-standard RF and EM simulation tools to validate circuit performance and optimize designs
• Execute bench-level testing, matching and HW verification using RF lab equipment
• Assist in debugging and troubleshooting RF issues during prototyping and system integration
• Contribute to design peer reviews and documentation of technical decisions, test plans, and results
• Work closely with systems, digital, mechanical, PCB and manufacturing teams to ensure design robustness and product quality
• Participate in continuous improvement of RF design practices, test methodologies, and product development workflows

Skills

RF engineering

Schematic design

PCB layout

Lab testing

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (nice to have)

Tools

Dx Designer

Mentor Graphics

Altium

SystemVue

ADS Momentum

RF Pro

HFSS

LTSpice

Job description

Overview

NovAtel’s RF team is dedicated to developing and advancing high-performance GNSS hardware for precision positioning across a wide range of industries.We are looking for a RF Engineer to join the Hardware Development team in Calgary, Alberta. In this role, you will contribute to the design and validation of RF GNSS and antijam subsystems, playing a key part in the RF front-end of NovAtel’s industry-leading GNSS receiver and antijam products. You’ll work closely with a multidisciplinary team, supporting RF subsystem architecture, detailed design, simulation, testing, and integration of RF circuits, PCBs, and RF sub-systems.

Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities:

• Architecture, design, and development of RF front-end subsystems for GNSS receiver and antijam products
• Perform schematic design and collaborate on PCB layout for RF circuits, including filters, amplifiers, and matching networks
• Conduct simulations using industry-standard RF and EM simulation tools to validate circuit performance and optimize designs
• Execute bench-level testing, matching and HW verification using RF lab equipment
• Assist in debugging and troubleshooting RF issues during prototyping and system integration
• Contribute to design peer reviews and documentation of technical decisions, test plans, and results
• Work closely with systems, digital, mechanical, PCB and manufacturing teams to ensure design robustness and product quality
• Participate in continuous improvement of RF design practices, test methodologies, and product development workflows

Qualifications

Qualifications:

Must Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline with a focus on RF, Microwave, or Communications systems
• 2+ years of RF engineering experience focused on circuit-level design and analysis
• Familiarity with RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, network analyzers (VNAs), signal generators, and oscilloscopes
• Understanding of RF circuit blocks (e.g., filters, LNAs, mixers, oscialltors, PLLs, splitters, diplexers)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment

Key Success Factors

• Curiosity and willingness to learn in a fast-paced product development environment
• Attention to detail in documentation, design, and testing
• Adaptability when facing technical challenges or changing requirements
• Strong organizational skills to manage tasks, timelines, and reporting
• Enthusiasm for working hands-on in the lab and iterating on designs
• Commitment to continuous improvement and personal development

Nice to Have

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline with a focus on RF, Microwave, or Communications systems
• 5+ years of RF engineering experience focused on circuit-level design and analysis
• Experience with schematic and PCB layout tools (e.g., Dx Designer, Mentor Graphics, Altium)
• Experience with RF circuit simulation tools (e.g., SystemVue, ADS Momentum, RF Pro, HFSS, LTSpice)
• Experience measuring and interpreting S-parameters and applying impedance matching techniques for RF circuit optimization
• Exposure to GNSS receiver systems, signals, or receiver architectures
• Knowledge of antijam and interference mitigation techniques
• Familiarity with EMC/EMI design considerations and testing