RF Design & Test Engineer (RF Hardware, Microwave & Lab Testing) | Octagon Group | New Jersey

Octagon Group; New Jersey; On-site; USD 162,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

Octagon Group is seeking an experienced RF Design & Test Engineer to take ownership of RF board-level design, schematic capture, prototype bring-up, and automated lab testing in New Jersey. This permanent role demands hands-on expertise in microwave hardware and test methodologies to ensure product reliability and rapid time-to-market.

The role includes designing RF modules, setting up complex lab benches, developing automated test routines, and collaborating across hardware, systems, and

Qualifications

• 4+ years of RF hardware design and lab test experience.
• Experience with VNA, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.
• Schematic capture and RF PCB layout.
• High-frequency signal integrity knowledge.
• Automation scripting for RF tests (Python, LabVIEW).
• US citizenship or GC required.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, develop, and test RF hardware modules and board-level subassemblies.
• Execute schematic capture and PCB layout guidance for RF boards.
• Set up RF test benches with VNAs, spectrum analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Develop automated test scripts for lab and production environments.
• Hardware bring-up, tuning, and component-level debugging of RF prototypes.
• Collaborate with hardware design, manufacturing, and QA teams.
• Ensure adherence to environmental, electrical, and mechanical specs.
• Maintain schematics, BOMs, test procedures, and revision control.

Skills

RF hardware design

Lab test instrumentation

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Test automation scripting

Hardware debugging

Cross-functional collaboration

US citizenship or GC

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical/RF Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Keysight ADS

AWR Microwave Office

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Position Summary

Driving advanced radio frequency hardware design, rigorous laboratory testing, and microwave circuit verification in New Jersey, Octagon Group is actively seeking an accomplished RF Design & Test Engineer for a premier permanent professional engagement. In this vital technical role, you will take full operational, tactical, and technical ownership of RF board-level design, schematic capture, prototype bring-up, and automated lab test execution. Bringing extensive professional experience in RF hardware engineering and microwave test methodologies, you will empower an elite technology and semiconductor enterprise to achieve uncompromised product reliability, secure design validation, and superior time-to-market execution. This prestigious career opportunity offers a lucrative compensation package of up to $180,000, high-visibility enterprise exposure, and professional growth within a leading global technical recruitment and engineering consultancy.

Detailed Job Description

As an RF Design & Test Engineer supporting Octagon Group on an on-site professional basis in New Jersey (US citizens or Green Card holders only), you will take full operational, tactical, and technical ownership of radio frequency circuit design, test bench automation, hardware debugging, and cross-functional engineering collaboration. Your day-to-day responsibilities include designing and developing microwave and RF hardware modules, performing schematic capture and multi-layer PCB layout guidance, setting up complex laboratory test benches utilizing vector network analyzers, signal generators, and spectrum analyzers, developing automated test scripts for high-volume manufacturing verification, troubleshooting hardware anomalies down to the component level, collaborating proactively with systems engineers and manufacturing teams, maintaining meticulous test documentation, and interacting directly with talent partners like Bhavesh Patel.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, develop, and test advanced radio frequency (RF) and microwave hardware modules and board-level subassemblies.
• Execute schematic capture, component selection, and multi-layer PCB layout guidelines optimized for high-frequency signal integrity.
• Set up, calibrate, and operate sophisticated RF test benches featuring vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Develop automated test scripts and measurement routines using Python, LabVIEW, or C# for laboratory and production test environments.
• Conduct rigorous hardware bring-up, functional verification, tuning, and component-level debugging of RF prototypes.
• Collaborate proactively with cross-functional hardware design squads, manufacturing engineers, and quality assurance teams.
• Ensure strict adherence to rigorous environmental, electrical, and mechanical performance specifications.
• Maintain meticulous schematics, BOMs, test procedures, validation reports, and hardware revision control documentation.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Communications Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 4+ years of progressive professional hands-on experience in RF hardware design and laboratory test engineering.
• Strong, demonstrable operational expertise in RF laboratory test instrumentation (VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators).
• Comprehensive working knowledge and practical proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro).
• Deep practical experience with impedance matching, filter design, amplifier integration, and microwave passive components.
• Solid practical grasp of test automation scripting (Python, LabVIEW) for automated RF measurement characterization.
• Exceptional analytical problem-solving aptitude, hands-on hardware debugging capabilities, and professional stakeholder communication.
• Mandatory US citizenship or Green Card holder status for professional operations in New Jersey.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Professional engineering certifications or advanced postgraduate coursework in microwave engineering.
• Prior professional working experience supporting Tier-1 defense electronics, wireless infrastructure, or aerospace enterprises.
• Hands-on familiarity with RF simulation software (Keysight ADS, AWR Microwave Office).
• Experience utilizing enterprise agile tracking and collaboration platforms (Jira, Confluence, SharePoint).
• Active participation in IEEE engineering societies or professional hardware developer forums.

Application Information

• Recruiter: Octagon Group Recruitment Division
• Contact Name: Bhavesh (Bhav) Patel (Co-Founder & Talent Partner)
• Email: [e-mail]
• Phone:
• Company Website: https://www.octagongroup.global
• Salary/Rate: Up to $180,000 / Enterprise RF Hardware Package
• Work Schedule: On-Site Professional Operations (New Jersey - US Citizens or Green Cards Only)
• Deadline: Open until filled (Urgent New Jersey RF Design & Test Opening)
• Notice Period: Immediate to 30 Days Preferred
• Contract Duration: Permanent / Full-Time Employment (New Jersey)

Recruitment Pro Tip

When applying for this RF Design & Test Engineer position through Octagon Group, ensure your resume explicitly highlights your VNA lab testing tenure, Altium schematic capture expertise, and US citizenship or Green Card status.