Principal Radio Frequency Engineer

Research Innovations Incorporated; Maryland; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedules

Health insurance

Paid time off

401k with company match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

A government technology solutions firm is seeking a highly driven Principal Radio Frequency Engineer to join their EW/SIGINT team. This role involves designing RF systems, optimizing performance, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver advanced capabilities. Candidates should have over 6 years of experience in RF systems and a strong understanding of SIGINT, with proficiency in Agile methodologies and relevant tools. Comprehensive benefits and a supportive environment are also offered.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on experience in RF systems.
• 3+ years in SIGINT or defense-related fields.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize RF systems for performance.
• Develop prototypes in laboratory and field settings.
• Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to meet deadlines.

Skills

Designing RF signal collection systems

SIGINT or related fields

RF fundamentals

Agile environments

Building relationships

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MATLAB

DOORS Next Gen

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Title: Principal Radio Frequency Engineer

Location: Onsite at Aberdeen Proving Grounds

Clearance Requirement: Top Secret / With SCI eligibility

Employment type: Full Time

Research Innovations, Inc. (RII) is breaking through the big, slow status quo with transformative technology that fundamentally improves the world. We build advanced software solutions for government and military missions, applying agile development and user-centered design to solve complex, mission-critical problems. We are seeking a highly driven Principal RF Engineer to join our EW/SIGINT team supporting Defense and Intelligence Community missions. In this role, you will solve complex, mission‑critical challenges and develop advanced RF collection capabilities that enable real‑time situational awareness in dynamic operational environments. You will support and sustain deployed operational systems, ensuring performance, reliability, and mission effectiveness in real-world conditions, while contributing to systems that discover, analyze, and exploit signals across full-spectrum operations—delivering precise, actionable intelligence when it matters most.

What You Will Be Doing

• Support Army DEVCOM Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) initiatives onsite at APG
• Design and optimize RF systems, including antenna selection, placement, and integration
• Perform link budget analysis and signal propagation modeling to ensure system performance across operational environments
• Develop and prototype solutions in both Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) and field environments
• Translate emerging mission requirements into technical concepts and rapid implementation plans
• Design, develop, and document RF components, subassemblies, and system-level architectures
• Review engineering designs, drawings, and technical documentation; provide actionable recommendations
• Resolve engineering change requests from customers, manufacturers, and suppliers
• Conduct reliability analysis and safety engineering assessments for RF systems
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to deliver mission-ready capabilities under tight timelines

What You Have Done

• 6+ years of hands‑on experience designing, building, and testing RF signal collection systems
• 3+ years of experience in SIGINT or related fields (DoD, IC, or defense contractors)
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, including signal propagation, antenna theory, and link budget analysis
• Experience working in Agile environments, including use of tools such as Jira and Confluence
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools, including Project and Visio
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with technical teams and mission stakeholders
• Proven track record of delivering solutions in fast‑paced, mission-driven environments

EVEN BETTER

• Experience with modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB or STK
• Familiarity with requirements management tools such as DOORS Next Gen
• Experience supporting rapid prototyping or Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) programs
• Prior work in field testing or deployed RF/SIGINT systems

At RII, we believe that diversity in our workforce is critical to our success. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger. We work to help your intellectual passions and creativity thrive. It’s one of our core values: Let your geek flag fly.

We also offer all employees comprehensive benefits including flexible work schedules, health insurance coverage, paid time off, 401k with a company match, paid parental leave, access to wellness programs and much more. You get this all from day one, and all paid for by RII.

It’s all part of another of our core values: Stay human. It’s why our comfortable and colorful offices such as our headquarters, include a community game room, pantry, massage chair, and an escape room, among other amenities. It’s why we have community ambassadors and regular community events.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.