Principal RF Engineer

FIRST RF; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Four weeks PTO

Hybrid work

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) match up to 6%

Health, dental, and vision

Job summary

FIRST RF is seeking an experienced Principal RF Engineer to provide technical leadership across a diverse portfolio of advanced RF and microwave systems. You will work with multidisciplinary teams and customers to take solutions from concept to production, mentoring engineers along the way.

The role emphasizes systems thinking, collaboration with RF, antenna, digital, embedded software, and mechanical teams, and the ability to drive design reviews, risk reduction, and strategic technology

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or closely related field.
• Experience analyzing and integrating RF devices and networks.
• Experience with antenna design, testing, and modeling.
• Experience using electromagnetic simulation tools (HFSS, FEKO, CST, Microwave Office).
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Proficiency with MATLAB or Python for analysis and automation.
• Experience using RF lab equipment (vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers).
• Strong communication skills with engineers, executives, and customers.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and lead across an organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for complex RF and microwave system development.
• Lead design, analysis, integration, and verification of advanced RF hardware.
• Develop innovative solutions and guide projects from proposal to delivery.
• Interface with customers presenting technical approaches and program status.
• Provide leadership for multiple projects ensuring cost, schedule, performance targets.
• Lead discussions with government, commercial, and subcontractor partners.
• Mentor engineers through design reviews and technical guidance.
• Establish engineering best practices and standards.
• Conduct design reviews and independent technical assessments to reduce risk.
• Support business development with white papers, proposals, and roadmaps.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Customer communication

Problem solving

Systems thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (RF/EM)

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (RF/EM)

Tools

HFSS

FEKO

CST Studio Suite

Microwave Office

Altium Designer

Vector Network Analyzers

Spectrum Analyzers

Power Meters

Signal Generators

Job description

Brief Description

FIRST RF is seeking an experienced Principal RF Engineer to provide technical leadership across a diverse portfolio of advanced RF and microwave systems. In this role, you will serve as a subject matter expert, lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, and partner directly with customers to develop innovative solutions from concept through production. You will contribute across FIRST RF's four technology divisions, developing next-generation phased-array systems, millimeter-wave antennas, advanced signal detection technologies, radar systems, and other cutting-edge RF solutions for government and commercial customers. This position requires exceptional technical depth, systems thinking, and the ability to mentor engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for complex RF and microwave system development efforts
• Lead the design, analysis, integration, and verification of advanced RF hardware and systems
• Develop innovative solutions for challenging customer problems and guide projects from proposal through product delivery
• Interface directly with customers, presenting technical approaches, design reviews, and program status
• Provide technical leadership for multiple projects while ensuring successful execution of cost, schedule, and performance objectives
• Lead technical discussions with government, commercial, and subcontractor partners
• Mentor and develop engineers across all experience levels through design reviews, and technical guidance
• Establish engineering best practices, design methodologies, and technical standards
• Conduct design reviews and provide independent technical assessments to reduce program risk
• Support business development activities by contributing to white papers, technical proposals, customer briefings, and technology roadmaps
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic investments to expand FIRST RF's technical capabilities
• Foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams including RF, antenna, digital, embedded software, and mechanical engineering

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field
• Experience analyzing, and integrating RF devices and networks including amplifiers, filters, attenuators, phase shifters, mixers, frequency converters, and related components
• Experience with antenna design, characterization, testing, and modeling
• Experience using electromagnetic simulation tools including HFSS, FEKO, CST Studio Suite, Microwave Office, or similar software
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through successful project execution
• Proficiency with technical programming languages such as MATLAB or Python for analysis, simulation, and automation
• Extensive experience using RF laboratory equipment including vector network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with engineers, executives, and customers.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across an organization
• A passion for solving challenging technical problems with creativity, curiosity, and attention to detail
• Comfortable working in laboratory and prototype development environments
• Willingness to rapidly iterate, learn from failures, and continuously improve designs

Preferred Education And Experience

• Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in RF or Electromagnetics
• 10+ years of professional experience in RF and microwave engineering with a demonstrated record of technical leadership
• Extensive experience using RF laboratory equipment including signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters
• Experience with printed circuit board design, layout review, fabrication, assembly, and test
• Experience with phased-array antennas and beamforming
• Experience designing RF front ends for radar, electronic warfare, communications, or software-defined radio (SDR) systems
• Experience with Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB layout
• Experience supporting proposal development, technology roadmaps, and customer capture activities

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week. Typical office hours include Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm; however, these hours may vary based on workload and the manager’s discretion.

Travel

About 10% travel is expected for this position.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand on a stool as necessary. The employee will also regularly be seated at a desk and using a computer. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

About FIRST RF

FIRST RF is a fast-growing, multi-discipline, privately owned small business focused on engineering and manufacturing of advanced technologies – specifically in antennas and radio frequency (RF) systems. We are an energetic team empowered with world-class facilities and resources. We promote a culture which prioritizes innovation and responsiveness. By making bold investments in the development of groundbreaking technologies, FIRST RF has fielded award-winning products ranging from revolutionary passive antennas to highly complex, active antenna systems.

Benefits Summary

We offer all employees four weeks of PTO each year, flexible scheduling, hybrid work, tuition reimbursement, up to 6% 401(k) match, and healthcare, dental, and vision plans.

AAP/EEO Statement

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, assignment, re-assignment, promotion, transfer, compensation, discipline, and termination. The Company prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in employment based on race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex (including same sex); sexual orientation; gender identity; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability or handicap; citizenship status; service member status; or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. We support protected veterans and individuals with disabilities through our affirmative action program.