Principal Antenna Engineer

Motorola Solutions; Schaumburg (IL); On-site; USD 100,100 - 160,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive Bonus Plans

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401K with Company Match

10 Paid Holidays

Generous Paid Time Off Packages

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Paid Parental & Family Leave

Job summary

Motorola Solutions in Schaumburg, IL is seeking an experienced Antenna Engineer to design, simulate, and optimize antennas for wideband and multi‑band applications. You will lead phased array designs, perform full‑wave simulations, and collaborate with RF teams to ensure impedance matching and robust beamforming performance.

The role requires 8+ years of design experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to work with customers and cross‑functional teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering required.
• 8+ years design experience required.
• U.S. citizen and ability to obtain security clearance for government contracts.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, and optimize custom antenna elements for wideband and multi‑band applications.
• Lead the design of active phased array systems, including feed networks and beamforming architectures.
• Perform full‑wave EM simulations to analyze gain, return loss, and radiation patterns.

Skills

Antenna design

EM simulation

RF circuit design

Phased array theory

VNA mastery

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Tools

ANSYS HFSS

CST Studio Suite

Job description

Job Description

Applied Technology seeks a technically proficient and versatile individual to fulfill an Antenna Engineering role. This flexible, results‑oriented problem‑solver will be responsible for the following for multiple custom wireless communications products:

Antenna Engineering

• Custom Antenna Development: Design, simulate, and optimize custom antenna elements for wideband and multi‑band applications.
• Phased Array & Beamforming: Lead the design of active phased array systems, including feed networks, phase shifters, and the implementation of beamsteering architectures.
• Electromagnetic Simulation: Perform full‑wave EM simulations using Ansys HFSS and Dassault Systems CST to analyze gain, efficiency, return loss, and radiation patterns.
• RF Architecture Integration: Collaborate with RF Front‑End (RFFE) teams to integrate antennas with filters, LNAs, and power amplifiers, ensuring impedance matching and minimal link budget loss.
• Prototyping & Validation: Conduct hands‑on testing in Anechoic chambers and Near‑field/Far‑field ranges to validate hardware against simulated models.
• Millimeter‑Wave (mmWave) Design: Address specific challenges of the mmWave frequency range, such as atmospheric absorption, high path loss, and tight manufacturing tolerances.
• Custom ASIC Development: Collaborate with our RF ASIC team on development of beamformer IC's.

Customer Technical Interface

• Regularly work directly with customers to develop product requirements.
• Communicate technical status verbally, written, and in customer meetings.
• Occasional travel to customer meetings may be required.
• Contribute to Business Development and Proposal efforts.

Specific Knowledge / Skills

• EM Simulation Software: Expert‑level proficiency in ANSYS HFSS and CST Studio Suite.
• Phased Array Theory: Deep understanding of grating lobes, mutual coupling, beam scanning range, and Taylor / Chebyshev weighting for sidelobe control.
• RF Circuit Design: Proficiency in Cadence for matching network design and system‑level budget analysis.
• Measurement Hardware: Mastery of Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs), Spectrum Analyzers, and Signal Generators.
• Knowledge of high‑frequency substrate properties (Rogers, Taconic, Megtron) and performance at mmWave frequencies.
• Excellent verbal / written communications skills.
• Excellent multitasking and prioritization.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• 8+ years design experience.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Understanding of System‑in‑Package (SiP) and Antenna‑in‑Package (AiP) technologies.

Benefits

• Incentive Bonus Plans
• Medical, Dental, Vision benefits
• 401K with Company Match
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Generous Paid Time Off Packages
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Paid Parental & Family Leave
• and more!

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• Must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain necessary security clearance as required by government contracts. Some contracts may have higher‑level clearance requirements.

Travel Requirements

Under 10%

Relocation

None

Position Type

Experienced

Referral Payment Plan

No

Target Base Salary Range

$100,100 - $160,200 USD

EEO Statement

Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally‑protected characteristic.

Additional Notes

We are proud of our people‑first and community‑focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you'd like to join our team but feel that you don't quite meet all of the preferred skills, we'd still love to hear why you think you'd be a great addition to our team.

We're committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this Reasonable Accommodations Forms so we can assist you.