Scientific Assistant in Antenna Array Design and Testing 80%-100%

ETH Zürich; Zürich; Vor Ort; CHF 70.000 - 100.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Contract 1 year

ETH Zurich team

Hands-on design

Collaborative environment

European projects

Zusammenfassung

ETH Zürich IDEAS Group seeks a research assistant to design, implement, and test high‑performant antennas and antenna arrays for cutting‑edge wireless systems. You will develop PCB boards, package wireless ICs with antenna boards, and set up measurement environments.

Start date: 17 August 2026. The role offers a 1‑year contract at 80–100% workload in a world‑leading electronics research team with opportunities in 6G, SATCOM and sensing projects and a collaborative environment with experienced

Qualifikationen

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Experience in applied electromagnetics and antenna designs.
• PCB design experience.
• Microwave engineering and advanced electromagnetics is a plus.
• Electronics testing experience using Keysight and R&S equipment is a plus.
• Experience working in fast-paced research environments.
• Strong organisational and multitasking abilities.
• Excellent English communication in line with IDEAS working language.

Aufgaben

• Design, implement, and refine antenna and antenna array designs in PCB technologies.
• Develop antenna array PCBs and integrate with wireless ICs.
• Develop test control PCBs for antenna array PCBs.
• Set up measurement environments and support automated testing of antenna arrays with wireless ICs.
• Lead execution and analysis of antenna testing campaigns under various conditions.
• Document and investigate test anomalies and prepare formal test reports.
• Develop and maintain automated test frameworks to improve repeatability and efficiency.

Kenntnisse

PCB design

Antenna design

Microwave engineering

Electronic testing

English communication

Time management

Ausbildung

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Keysight equipment

R&S equipment

Jobbeschreibung

The Integrated Devices, Electronics, and Systems (IDEAS) Group is a world leading research group on next‑generation wireless technologies for applications such as 6G, satellite communication (SATCOM), and electromagnetic sensing. Our research is funded by multiple EU, ESA, and Swiss programmes and contributes directly to European digital sovereignty.

Antennas are indispensable components of all wireless systems, serving as the transducers between circuits and wave propagation and converting signals between the electronic and electromagnetic domains. Most advanced wireless systems rely on array‑based operations – phased arrays or MIMO arrays – where thousands of antennas must work in synchrony with hundreds of integrated circuit (IC) chips, presenting many more design challenges than single‑element antennas. Testing these high‑performance antennas and antenna arrays requires knowledge of automated test setups and high‑end electronic measurement facilities.

We are seeking a research assistant to join our IDEAS team and contribute to the design, implementation, and testing of various high‑performance antennas and antenna arrays. The anticipated start date is Monday, 17 August 2026.

Project background

Next‑generation wireless communication and sensing systems heavily depend on the co‑designs and cooperations between electronics and antenna arrays. These highly sophisticated systems present challenges not only in antenna array designs but also in their operations and performance, such as array system calibration, beam management, and null steering.

The IDEAS Group has multiple ongoing wireless projects on 6G, satellite communication (SATCOM), and electromagnetic sensing/imaging applications. We also have several developed and experimentally verified antenna and antenna array solutions for these systems. While these existing technologies serve as baseline know‑how, new antenna designs are needed to address new challenges.

This position is intended for a candidate who can design, implement, and refine high‑performance antennas and antenna arrays for integration into cutting‑edge wireless systems. The work will support real‑world applications and help advance next‑generation communication, computation, and sensing systems. The successful candidate will develop antenna and antenna array PCB boards, package wireless IC chips with antenna boards, set up antenna measurement environments, and perform automated antenna array testing.

Job description

• Design, implement, and refine antenna and antenna array designs in commercial PCB technologies.
• Design, implement, and refine antenna array PCB boards to realise operational systems in cooperation with wireless ICs. PCB traces for RF signal feeding/combining/dividing, DC supply/biasing/ground lines, and digital programming should be included in the designs.
• Develop test control PCBs for antenna array PCBs.
• Set up measurement environments and support automated testing of antenna arrays with wireless ICs.
• Lead the execution and analysis of antenna and antenna array test campaigns to validate performance under various operating conditions.
• Document and investigate test anomalies.
• Prepare formal test reports for internal reviews and project deliverables.
• Develop and maintain automated test frameworks to improve repeatability, traceability, and testing efficiency.

Profile

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Microelectronics, or a related field.
• Prior experience in applied electromagnetics and antenna designs.
• Prior experience in printed‑circuit board (PCB) design.
• Experience in microwave engineering and advanced electromagnetics is a plus.
• Electronics testing experience using Keysight and R&S equipment is a plus.
• Experience working in fast‑paced research environments.
• Highly organised, dependable, and able to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
• Motivated to contribute to a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment, with a strong commitment to technical excellence.
• High professional integrity, maturity, and a constructive working style.
• Excellent communication skills in English, the IDEAS team's working language.

We offer

• A 1-year contract at the IDEAS Lab at an 80–100 % workload; renewal is possible depending on performance and funding availability.
• A stimulating, collaborative environment in a world‑leading multidisciplinary electronics research team at ETH Zurich.
• The opportunity to support ongoing research projects in next‑generation communication and sensing technologies for the digital revolution.
• Hands‑on experience in advanced antenna and array design, development, integration, and testing.
• Membership in a motivated, supportive, and collaborative team.
• The opportunity to learn from experienced researchers and technical experts while contributing to high‑impact research projects and European digital sovereignty.

We value diversity and sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate‑neutral future.

Curious? So are we.

Questions regarding the position should be directed to ideas‑[e-mail] (no applications).