RF Engineer

APIUM Swarm Robotics - A Red Cat Company; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 137,000; Part time

Job summary

Apium Swarm Robotics seeks a part-time RF Engineer to design and validate RF links for unmanned systems, collaborating with design engineering and production teams in a fast-paced facility in San Diego.

You will advance datalink architectures, perform field tests, and ensure compliance with spectrum regulations while balancing SWaP constraints. Strong RF theory and hands-on testing are essential.

Qualifications

• US citizenship is required.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or RF Engineering.
• Strong RF theory knowledge, link budgets, and impedance matching.
• Experience designing RF links, transceivers, and datalinks for unmanned systems.
• Proficiency with RF test equipment (VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators).
• Experience with RF design tools: ADS, HFSS, CST, AWR, MATLAB/Simulink.
• Knowledge of FCC Part 15, NTIA, ETSI, IEEE standards.
• Awareness of SWaP trade-offs for airborne/mobile platforms.
• Knowledge of GPS/GNSS anti-jam/spoof techniques.
• Strong analytical and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize RF links for unmanned systems.
• Develop resilient datalink architectures for multi-agent systems.
• Design RF systems meeting SWaP constraints for multiple platforms.
• Engineer anti-jam, LPI/LPD, and spread-spectrum waveforms.
• Perform link budget, range, and coverage analyses for distributed topologies.
• Design and integrate antennas for unmanned platforms with various radiation patterns.
• Conduct field and flight testing of RF links and datalinks.
• Characterize and mitigate co-site interference and EMI/EMC issues.
• Support GPS/GNSS integration and anti-jam/anti-spoo techniques.
• Troubleshoot RF and datalink issues at component to network level.
• Collaborate with autonomy, firmware, systems, and flight-controls teams.
• Support regulatory compliance and spectrum management; transition designs to production.

Skills

RF engineering

Datalinks design

Link budget analysis

VNA & spectrum analyzers

Test equipment

MATLAB/Simulink

ADS/HFSS/CST/AWR

Problem solving

GNSS anti-jam

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or RF Engineering

Master's or PhD in RF engineering (preferred)

Tools

VNAs

Spectrum analyzers

Signal generators

ADS

HFSS

CST

AWR

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Position Summary (Part-Time)

Position Summary (Part-Time) Apium Swarm Robotics (ASR) is revolutionizing swarm autonomy software for air, surface, undersea, and ground vehicles operating across dual-use commercial and defense environments. Our systems are deployed on real platforms, tested in the field, and delivered to customers operating in complex, uncertain, and safety-critical conditions. We do not build research prototypes or slideware. Our software is integrated into real vehicles, tested in the field, and delivered to customers who depend on operational reliability, speed of execution, and mission relevance. We prioritize performance over hype. ASR systems represent the next phase in autonomy: collaborative swarming. These are not like pre-programmed drones for light shows. We are creating real-time cooperative management that lets one operator control dozens to hundreds of vehicles in real-time with the ease of controlling a single vehicle. As such, this role requires comfort with responsibility, ambiguity, and operational accountability. The RF Engineer develops, documents, and improves the production processes that build Apium’s family of unmanned systems across the USV, drone, dongle, GCS, and operator-kit product lines. Working between design engineering and the production floor, the role owns work instructions, tooling and fixtures, process validation, and yield and throughput improvement, and leads the transition of new products from prototype into rate production. This position is central to building a scalable, AS9100-compliant manufacturing operation as production volumes grow. You will report directly to ASR’s Senior Engineering Manager, Manufacturing & Operations, and will partner across design engineering, quality, supply chain, and the production floor to mature ASR’s manufacturing capability. This role is based on-site at ASR’s San Diego, California facility. The floor-facing nature of process engineering — pilot builds, fixture design, work-instruction validation, and root-cause troubleshooting — requires full on-site presence and is not compatible with remote or hybrid arrangements.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize RF communication links for unmanned systems, including command-and-control (C2), telemetry, and payload/data downlinks
• Develop resilient datalink architectures for multi-agent architectures, including mesh networking and mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) that maintain connectivity as nodes move and drop out.
• Design RF systems that meet strict Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) constraints for airborne, ground, and maritime unmanned platforms.
• Engineer anti-jam, low-probability-of-intercept/low-probability-of-detection (LPI/LPD), and spread-spectrum (DSSS/FHSS) waveforms and links for contested/congested RF environments.
• Perform link budget, range, and coverage analysis for distributed topologies, including node-to-node and node-to-ground-station links
• Design and integrate antennas for unmanned platforms, including omnidirectional, directional, and steerable/phased-array solutions for maintaining links during platform maneuvering
• Conduct field and flight testing of RF links, including range testing, interference characterization, and multi-node connectivity trials
• Characterize and mitigate co-site interference and EMI/EMC issues arising from densely packed radios, payloads, and motors on a single platform and across nearby members
• Support GPS/GNSS integration and mitigation of jamming/spoofing for navigation-dependent autonomous operations
• Troubleshoot and debug RF and datalink issues at the component, board, platform, and network level
• Collaborate with autonomy, firmware, systems, and flight-controls teams to align RF performance with coordination and mission requirements
• Support regulatory compliance and spectrum management (FCC, NTIA, DoD spectrum coordination) and transition designs from prototype to production

Required Qualifications

• Must be a US Citizen
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related field
• Strong understanding of RF and microwave theory, including S-parameters, impedance matching, link budgets, and transmission line theory
• Experience designing and testing RF communication links, transceivers, and datalinks for wireless or unmanned systems
• Working knowledge of digital communication and waveform fundamentals (modulation, coding, spread spectrum, frequency hopping)
• Familiarity with mesh networking and MANET concepts as applied to mobile, multi-node systems
• Proficiency with RF test equipment such as vector network analyzers (VNAs), spectrum analyzers, and signal generators
• Experience with RF simulation and design tools (e.g., ADS, HFSS, CST, AWR, MATLAB/Simulink)
• Understanding of key RF link metrics including noise figure, sensitivity, linearity (IP3), gain, EVM, and BER
• Knowledge of relevant standards and spectrum regulations (FCC Part 15, NTIA, ETSI, IEEE)
• Awareness of SWaP trade-offs specific to airborne and mobile platforms
• Understanding of video multiplexing, telemetry, CDMA protocol, LORA
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering with an RF/microwave or communications focus
• Direct experience with unmanned systems (UAS/UGV/UUV/USV) datalinks or multi-agent autonomous systems
• Experience with anti-jam, LPI/LPD, and electronic-warfare-resilient communications
• Familiarity with software-defined radios (SDRs) and waveform development (e.g., GNU Radio, USRP/Ettus platforms)
• Experience with phased-array, beamforming, or beam-steering antennas for mobile link maintenance
• Knowledge of MANET routing protocols and RF network performance in dynamic, mobile topologies
• Experience with GPS/GNSS anti-jam and anti-spoo techniques
• Familiarity with mmWave and higher-frequency links for high-bandwidth payload data
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for test automation, waveform analysis, and link modeling
• Experience taking RF products through regulatory certification and DoD/military spectrum coordination
• Familiarity with military communication standards and waveforms (e.g., Link 16, TSM, MUOS, or similar tactical waveforms)
• Active DoD security clearance or ability to obtain one

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must be able to walk, stand, and navigate large indoor and outdoor facilities for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move materials and equipment weighing up to 25 lbs on a regular basis.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required in designated areas or when performing specific tasks, in accordance with safety protocols and company policy.
• May be required to climb ladders, stoop, kneel, or crouch during inspections, maintenance walk-throughs, or emergency response situations.
• Regular exposure to facility operations including noise, dust, temperature fluctuations, and industrial equipment.
• Occasional off-hours or weekend work required for emergency facility responses or projects as needed
• Requires frequent use of a computer and other standard office equipment for documentation, communication, and coordination tasks.
• Requirement to travel up to 25% of the time, based on customer integration needs and operational requirements.

Background Check

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law.

EEO and ITAR/EAR Work Authorization Disclosure

Red Cat Holdings provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates for positions subject to ITAR/EAR restrictions must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

E-Verify

The company participates E-Verify ensure eligibility for employment and compliance with Right to Work rules.

Compensation: 110K – 137.28K plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses.