Senior RF Design Engineer - Antennas & Systems

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 100,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is seeking an RF Design Engineer to research, design, test, and deliver RF antennas, sensors, and related RF circuits for DoD and IC missions. You will develop hardware specifications, run RF simulations, and perform hardware testing across the electromagnetic spectrum.

The role requires 5+ years in RF hardware development, experience with RF lab equipment, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience developing RF or electromagnetic hardware.
• Experience with RF lab test equipment (spectrum/network analyzers, signal generators).
• Familiarity with RF concepts like network parameters, impedance, distributed RF circuits.
• Experience with full-wave electromagnetic solvers.
• Experience developing digital signal processing solutions.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work on-site at APL and test sites.
• Eligibility for TS/SCI clearance (US citizenship).

Responsibilities

• Stay up-to-date on antenna, RF electronics, and signal processing innovations.
• Lead hardware design teams from 3 to 30 engineers.
• Develop hardware specs and system requirements from operational needs.
• Design antennas, sensors, RF circuits, and RF systems.
• Develop RF simulations for propagation and performance.
• Define hardware tests to assess performance.
• Conduct trade-off analyses and guide vendor selection.
• Document and present work to Sponsors and management.
• Grow engineering, communication, and leadership skills.

Skills

RF hardware development

RF testing

Digital signal processing

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics

Master’s or Doctorate in RF/EE (preferred)

Tools

Spectrum analyzers

Network analyzers

Signal generators

RF circuit solvers

Job description

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is seeking an RF Design Engineer to research, design, test, and deliver RF antennas, sensors, and related RF circuits for DoD and IC missions. You will develop hardware specifications, run RF simulations, and perform hardware testing across the electromagnetic spectrum.

The role requires 5+ years in RF hardware development, experience with RF lab equipment, and strong communication skills.