Senior RF Antenna Engineer (Consultant)

Polyrhythm Software, LLC.; United States; À distance; USD 150 000 - 190 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Remote work

Equal opportunity employer

Résumé du poste

Polyrhythm Software is seeking a senior Antenna Engineer to own the electromagnetic design, simulation, and validation of a modular AESA antenna system. You will develop EM models, analyze mutual coupling, and drive design decisions from prototype through testing.

You will collaborate with RF, electrical, and mechanical engineers to diagnose performance issues, correlate simulations with measurements, and push for robust antenna hardware in a remote, contract role.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing, developing, and testing phased‑array antennas including AESA.
• Strong understanding of phased‑array design: element spacing, mutual coupling, beam steering, scan loss, grating lobes.
• Hands‑on proficiency with Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT) and HFSS for EM simulation and antenna design.

Responsabilités

• Own the electromagnetic design, simulation, characterization, and validation of a modular AESA antenna system.
• Design and optimize antenna elements and phased‑array configurations to meet RF performance objectives.
• Develop EM models using AEDT and HFSS, including embedded element pattern simulations.

Connaissances

AESA antennas

AEDT

HFSS

antenna measurements

data interpretation

independent judgment

RF concept knowledge

team collaboration

Outils

AEDT

HFSS

Description du poste

Own the design, simulation, and validation of a phased-array antenna system, using electromagnetic modeling and antenna chamber measurements to develop, characterize, and troubleshoot prototype hardware.

Ownership here means more than a task list. It is the part of the mission that is yours to drive: you hold the outcome, make the calls, weigh the trade-offs, and carry it to done. You will have the context and the authority to do that, and a team that expects you to use both.

The Antenna Engineering Consultant will own the electromagnetic design, simulation, characterization, and validation of a modular Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna system, from initial design through prototype integration and testing.

Working closely with RF, electrical, and mechanical engineers, this role is responsible for antenna element and array design, embedded element pattern analysis, mutual coupling, and phased-array performance. The consultant will use Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT) and HFSS to develop and validate electromagnetic models, correlate simulations with far-field and near-field chamber measurements, and diagnose performance issues in physical hardware.

We need a senior, hands‑on antenna engineer who can exercise independent technical judgment, identify design risks early, and take ownership of resolving antenna performance challenges through simulation, measurement, and practical engineering.

The work

What you will do

This is the core of the role, not the whole of working at Polyrhythm. Every role here grows: priorities move with the mission, you will pick up work that is not on this list, and the people who do well stretch past it. Read this as the center of gravity, not a fence.

• Own the electromagnetic design, simulation, characterization, and validation of a modular Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna system.
• Design and optimize antenna elements and phased-array configurations to meet RF performance objectives.
• Develop electromagnetic models using Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT) and HFSS, including embedded element pattern simulations.
• Analyze mutual coupling, impedance matching, radiation patterns, beam steering, scan loss, and other phased-array performance characteristics.
• Plan and support antenna testing in far-field, planar near-field, and spherical near-field measurement chambers.
• Process and interpret antenna measurement data to characterize element‑level and array‑level performance.
• Correlate measured antenna performance with electromagnetic simulations, investigate discrepancies, and refine designs.
• Diagnose antenna performance problems using chamber measurements, simulation results, and engineering analysis.
• Identify potential design risks, predict performance limitations, and recommend corrective actions before hardware fabrication.
• Collaborate with RF, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers to resolve integration challenges and optimize antenna performance.
• Support prototype fabrication, assembly, integration, calibration, and testing.
• Document antenna designs, simulation results, measurement procedures, engineering analyses, and verification findings.

What we are looking for

We hire for ability, not a checklist of skills. Skills can be taught. The capacity to learn fast, reason through hard problems, and own an outcome is what actually carries the work. If you can do the job, we care less about the exact path that got you able to do it.

• Demonstrated professional experience designing, developing, and testing phased‑array antennas, including active electronically scanned arrays (AESA).
• Strong understanding of phased‑array design principles, including element spacing, mutual coupling, beam steering, scan loss, grating lobes, and array performance.
• Hands‑on proficiency with Ansys Electronics Desktop (AEDT) and HFSS for electromagnetic simulation and antenna design.
• Experience modeling and analyzing embedded element patterns, including the effects of mutual coupling and surrounding structures.
• Practical experience with antenna measurements in far‑field, planar near‑field, and spherical near‑field chambers.
• Ability to process, interpret, and correlate measured antenna data with electromagnetic simulation results.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose antenna performance problems, identify root causes, and develop effective engineering solutions.
• Experience evaluating radiation patterns, impedance matching, gain, polarization, efficiency, and beam‑steering performance.
• Strong understanding of RF measurement techniques, instrumentation, calibration, and measurement uncertainty.
• Experience supporting antenna hardware development from initial design through fabrication, integration, and validation.
• Ability to anticipate design risks, evaluate technical tradeoffs, and make sound engineering decisions independently.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with RF, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers.
• Strong technical communication skills and the ability to document engineering analyses, test results, and design decisions.
• A hands‑on engineering mindset with demonstrated experience translating electromagnetic simulations into working antenna hardware.

Helpful, not mandatory

You do not need every item here. These are useful signals, not a checklist for self‑rejection.

• Experience designing and testing active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) for radar, electronic warfare, or communications applications.
• Familiarity with wideband phased‑array architectures, including true‑time‑delay (TTD) beamforming and phase‑shifter networks.
• Experience with array calibration, amplitude and phase correction, and beam‑steering validation.
• Knowledge of antenna array architectures, feed networks, polarization, and electromagnetic interactions with surrounding structures.
• Experience with near‑field-to-far‑field transformations and antenna measurement data processing.
• Familiarity with antenna chamber instrumentation, measurement automation, and data analysis using MATLAB or Python.
• Experience designing and evaluating antenna elements in the presence of radomes, enclosures, and mechanical support structures.
• Familiarity with RF power handling, thermal effects, and their impact on antenna performance.
• Experience integrating antenna arrays with RF front ends, transmit/receive modules, and digital beamforming systems.
• Background in defense, aerospace, maritime, or other mission‑critical RF systems.
• Experience supporting environmental qualification, prototype verification, and system‑level RF testing.
• Familiarity with design for manufacturability, production tolerances, and repeatability in phased‑array antenna assemblies.

Working in this role

Location, clearance, and employment terms in one place. Defense roles can carry program‑specific constraints, so review this section before applying and we can spend time on roles that are actually viable.

Work location

Remote

Employment type

Contract

Clearance

Citizenship or work authorization

Travel

Occasional (up to 10%)

Polyrhythm Software is an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, business needs, and the ability to perform the work.

Applicants who need a reasonable accommodation during the applicationprocess may contact [e-mail].