Experienced RF Hardware Engineer (Radar Systems)

Ubiq Aerospace; Trondheim; On-site; NOK 650,000 - 850,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Culture of trust and autonomy

Opportunities for meaningful technical responsibility

Job summary

Ubiq Aerospace in Trondheim is seeking an experienced RF Hardware Engineer to take ownership of the RF hardware for our innovative nano synthetic aperture radar (nSAR). You will lead the RF development cycle, from design through to flight testing, and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams.

This role offers you the chance to influence key aerospace products while working in a culture of trust and autonomy. Join us and make a meaningful impact in a growing company that values your expertise and contributions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on RF/microwave hardware design experience.
• Strong experience with RF lab equipment and measurement techniques.
• Ability to own a design from architecture to a tested, working result.

Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of radar hardware across the full RF chain.
• Design and develop RF front-end hardware: transmit/receive chains, LNAs, PAs.
• Conduct field testing on aircraft and iterate designs based on real-world data.

Skills

Hands-on RF/microwave hardware design experience

Strong experience with RF lab equipment

Antenna design and characterization

RF PCB design and component selection

Education

MSc or PhD in Electronics, RF Engineering, or related field

Tools

ADS

HFSS

CST

VNA

Spectrum analyzer

Job description

We are looking for an experienced RF Hardware Engineer to play a key technical role in the development of our nano synthetic aperture radar (nSAR) for small unmanned aircraft. You'll take technical ownership of the RF hardware and help bring a new airborne radar system from development to flight. If you're energized by solving difficult RF challenges and enjoy staying close to the hardware, this is a rare opportunity to make a real impact.

What you’ll do

You will be our most senior in-house RF engineer, taking technical ownership of the radar hardware across the full RF chain, from antenna to digitizer. The role spans the full development cycle, from simulation and design through lab validation and flight testing.

You'll work alongside an experienced external RF consultant and collaborate closely with our electronics, signal processing, and software teams. Building on the first prototype, you'll take ownership of the RF hardware through the iterations that turn it into flying, qualified hardware. You'll see your work fly on real aircraft within months, not years.

As our RF capabilities grow, you'll help shape our technical direction and engineering approach.

• Designing and developing RF front-end hardware: transmit/receive chains, LNAs, PAs, mixers, filters, and frequency synthesis
• Antenna design, integration, and characterization for airborne platforms
• RF PCB design and layout, including impedance-controlled routing and signal integrity
• Building and running test setups for RF characterization (VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generators, anechoic or open-range measurements)
• Working closely with our signal processing and software teams to ensure the RF hardware delivers the performance required by the radar algorithms
• Contributing to design reviews, qualification planning, and supplier dialogue for RF components
• Field testing on aircraft and iterating designs based on real‑world data

Our technical environment

• Radar architectures for synthetic aperture imaging
• Compact airborne payloads with weight- and power-constraints
• RF design and simulation using ADS, HFSS, CST or similar
• Embedded systems based on STM32 microcontrollers and FPGA digital backends
• Rapid in‑house prototyping with electronics and mechanical workshops

We believe the right person is someone who

• Has solid RF fundamentals and the intuition to debug problems that don’t show up in simulation
• Is both analytical and practical, comfortable at the bench with a VNA as well as in a simulation tool
• Can take technical ownership of a subsystem end to end and drive it to a tested, working result
• Is open‑minded and values discussions and feedback
• Enjoys collaborating across technical disciplines

Experience and qualifications

Required:

• 5+ years of hands‑on RF/microwave hardware design experience
• MSc or PhD in Electronics, RF Engineering, or a related field
• Strong experience with RF lab equipment and measurement techniques
• Experience with RF PCB design and component selection
• The ability to own a design from architecture to a tested, working result

Valued experience:

• Understanding of radar principles (pulsed or FMCW radar, SAR)
• Direct experience developing radar hardware, ideally airborne or SAR systems
• Experience with pulsed RF design: T/R switching, power amplification, timing and synchronization
• Antenna design and characterisation
• Experience designing wideband microwave systems (e.g. C‑band)
• Experience with airborne or other SWaP‑constrained systems
• Experience taking hardware through environmental testing or qualification

Why join Ubiq Aerospace?

At Ubiq, you'll work on advanced aerospace products in a small, highly capable team where engineers have a direct influence on both technology and product direction. You'll collaborate across disciplines, from electronics and software to signal processing and aerospace engineering, and see your work contribute to systems that operate in some of the world's most demanding environments.

As a growing company, you'll have the opportunity to take on meaningful technical responsibility, move quickly from idea to implementation, and help shape how we build products and grow our engineering capabilities.

We're based in Trondheim, Norway, with a culture rooted in Scandinavian values: trust, humility, autonomy, and meaningful impact. We believe great engineering comes from talented people who are given ownership, support, and the freedom to do their best work.

Please note: This role requires eligibility for security clearance and security suitability. Accordingly, relevant background checks and a security assessment can be conducted for relevant candidates. As part of the interview process, candidates must be prepared to answer security-related questions.