Principal Engineer/Sr. Principal Engineer RF Microwave Design

Northrop Grumman; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking experienced RF engineers in the Missions Systems sector. The role involves RF/microwave design, antennas, electromagnetics, and system integration across the lifecycle of programs.

You will work with a diverse team to develop innovative, cost-effective systems and communicate technical approaches clearly. Requirements include a bachelor’s in science or related field, with strong RF hardware testing skills, and the ability to troubleshoot complex problems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline with 5 years of experience; 3 years with a Masters; 4 extra years acceptable in lieu of a degree.
• U.S. Citizenship required and active government secret clearance.
• Experience troubleshooting RF hardware/subsystems and testing in manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Test and troubleshoot LRUs of RF architecture; support performance testing and requirements verification.
• Lead or contribute to HW/RF team needs and interview technical objectives.
• Demonstrate ability to troubleshoot complex RF/microwave problems with ingenuity and creativity.

Skills

RF engineering

Antenna design

EM theory

MATLAB

Python

Hardware testing

Git

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Git

Atlassian Suite

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Missions Systems is seeking experienced RF engineers in the following areas: Antennas, Electromagnetics, Computational Electromagnetics, RF/Microwave design, Digital beamforming, Hardware/Subsystem Integration and Test, and Antenna Control Design.

The qualified candidate will work with a diverse and talented team of engineers developing innovative and cost-effective systems that support a broad range of products and business areas across the lifecycle of a program. Applicants should possess the ability to communicate effectively and clearly present technical approaches and findings.

What You'll Get To Do

Responsibilities may include Testing and Troubleshooting Line Replacement Units (LRU) of RF architecture, recommend data driven requirements threshold adjustments; perform subsystem analysis including hardware from RF to digits, support for performance testing, requirements verification, and more. Work is performed without appreciable direction and exercising considerable latitude in determining technical objectives of assignments

Experienced applicants will have at least a bachelor’s degree in science or other related technical degree or have equivalent experience testing and troubleshooting, integration, designing, developing and/or testing radio frequency (RF) and/or microwave antenna systems and/or related RF hardware. Candidates would have the ability to troubleshoot complex problems which require the regular use of ingenuity and creativity.

In addition, this candidate should have demonstrated technical ability/leadership and expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Wide Band Waveform Generator test and/or troubleshooting
• Phase Noise test and/or troubleshooting techniques
• RF and/or digital hardware test and/or troubleshooting
• Troubleshot electronic equipment to the component level.
• Integrated Receiver Exciter Assemblies (IREX)
• Highly integrated subsystems including receiver exciter hardware
• RF Performance Analysis
• Computational Electromagnetics, Statistics
• Subsystem Control Design
• RF Measurements and Data Reduction
• Integration and test of RF assemblies
• Subsystem requirements (hardware and software) derivation, flow-down, and configuration
• Comfortable creating test support applications and tools using MATLAB, python, etc.
• Experience with Atlassian Tool Suite, Git

Preferred

This position requires that you can contribute as an RF or Hardware Lead or are able to contribute to the needs of a HW\RF Team, within the AESA Hardware Subsystem Discipline. Candidate is preferred to have an engineering background that includes:

• Familiarity with Antenna I&T\Analysis Subsystem parts (CCAs, front-end technology, Receiver-Exciter, phased array technology) and their capabilities
• Familiarity with Antenna I&T\Analysis Subsystem metrics and requirements that are assessed (Gain, ERP, CPCR, Sensitivity, TOI, Noise Figure, various antenna subsystem health status, RF chain\paths)
• Familiarity with Antenna I&T\Analysis Hardware testing environments:
  • Build-up stations of components\parts (Labs with program STE Test Racks)
  • Antenna Ranges (Near-Field, Compact Range, Far-Field, Spherical Near-Field)
• Familiarity with AESA Sub-system Hardware flow processes
• Pattern Analysis and modeling of AESA Subsystem hardware
• ATP Testing flow (build, environmental screening, approval to move forward to NHA, TRRs, Post-Test Data reviews, Consent to Break, OK for Stores, OK to ship)
• Understands the Design Process (PDR, DDR, CDR checklists and design gate deliverables)
• Tools utilized for data processing\analysis (MATLAB, Python)
• Documentation for Hardware (T-Specs, OTSAs, hardware drawings, ICDs, Set Selection Drawings)
• Quality processes utilized in hardware anomaly cases (QNs, FRBs, MRBs, Engineering response to hardware failures in the ATP Test Flow, and Qualification phase)

These roles are contingent upon candidates having a current Active government Secret Clearance.

These roles are contingent upon Program Award.

Basic Qualification For Principal Engineer

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering or related discipline with 5 years of experience in the areas described in the job description above. 3 years of experience with a Masters Degree. An additional 4 years of experience is acceptable in lieu of a degree.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Currently holds an active government secret clearance
• Demonstrate problem solving skills to a variety of RF/Microwave design and test related problems of increasing scope and complexity as assigned
• Proven knowledge of electrical engineering, design software and equipment
• Expertise Testing and Troubleshooting in a Manufacturing Environment
• Experience troubleshooting RF hardware/subsystems

Basic Qualifications For Sr. Principal Engineer

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering or related discipline with 8 years of experience in the areas described in the job description above. 6