Senior C2, RF & Navigation Systems Lead for UAS

Approach Venture LLC; Round Rock (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC in Texas is seeking a Lead Communications & Navigation Systems Engineer to own the aircraft's C2, RF communications, and PNT systems. You will lead technical decisions from architecture to flight testing, focusing on reliable communications and resilient navigation in contested environments.

This hands-on leadership role requires coordinating with suppliers, integrating datalink and GNSS subsystems, and guiding EMI/EMC activities to meet flight test milestones.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in communications, RF, or navigation systems for aerospace/defense.
• Hands-on with datalinks, radio systems, antennas, and RF link budgets.
• Strong GNSS knowledge and interference/jamming/spoofing considerations.
• Experience with RF test equipment and system integration across teams.
• Willingness to travel ~25% and collaborate across multiple engineering domains.
• U.S. citizenship required for export-controlled data access and security clearance eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture, development, integration, and validation of C2, RF, and GNSS/PNT subsystems through flight testing.
• Develop RF link budgets and evaluate antenna placement and performance.
• Select and integrate radio and datalink systems; manage supplier relationships.
• Develop resilient navigation architectures for GPS‑denied or jammed environments.
• Conduct RF bench tests, hardware-in-the-loop tests, and flight test troubleshooting.
• Manage spectrum, regulatory approvals, and frequency coordination for tests.
• Lead EMI/EMC integration across avionics and onboard systems.
• Collaborate with flight software engineers to integrate protocols and ensure open architecture.
• Create interface control documents, verification plans, and design reviews.
• Participate in ground/flight tests and drive hardware/software improvements.

Skills

RF communications

GNSS/PNT

Datalinks

EMI/EMC

System integration

Hardware testing

Aerospace engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Vector network analyzers

Spectrum analyzers

RF test equipment

Job description

Approach Venture LLC in Texas is seeking a Lead Communications & Navigation Systems Engineer to own the aircraft's C2, RF communications, and PNT systems. You will lead technical decisions from architecture to flight testing, focusing on reliable communications and resilient navigation in contested environments.

This hands-on leadership role requires coordinating with suppliers, integrating datalink and GNSS subsystems, and guiding EMI/EMC activities to meet flight test milestones.