Senior Specialist, RF Electrical Engineer

Acron Aviation; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Acron Aviation is looking for a Specialist, RF Engineer to support the Surveillance product line. The role involves designing RF systems for critical safety applications, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to enhance surveillance and communication functionalities. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in RF/Microwave engineering and experience in the avionics industry.

Key responsibilities include deriving RF requirements, performing circuit design, and conducting verification testing. Additional skills such as familiarity with simulation tools and RF components are essential. Join us to advance innovative RF technologies!

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience or 2 years with a graduate degree.
• Strong academic background in electromagnetic and RF/microwave theory.

Responsibilities

• Derive RF hardware requirements from system specifications.
• Define RF functional blocks for system architectures.
• Perform RF and analog circuit design and testing.
• Present technical concepts to management and customers.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Skills

RF/Microwave Theory

Analog Circuit Design

Design Reviews

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Graduate degree in relevant field

Tools

CST Microwave Studio

HFSS

AWR Microwave Office

ADS

Job description

About Acron Aviation (Avionics – Surveillance):

Acron Aviation designs, engineers, and manufactures certified avionics systems that support safety-critical flight operations across commercial and military aviation. Within Avionics, the Surveillance product line develops and sustains systems that enable aircraft awareness, collision avoidance, and airspace interoperability. Our portfolio includes TCAS, Mode S transponders, ADS-B, and integrated surveillance solutions deployed across commercial, military, and rotorcraft platforms. This work is performed in highly regulated environments and demands deep expertise across systems, hardware, software, and RF throughout the full product lifecycle.

Job Title

Specialist, RF Engineer – Surveillance

Position Summary

Acron Aviation is seeking a self-motivated RF/Microwave Engineer to join the RF Design team within the Surveillance product line. In this role, you will design and deliver mission-critical RF system solutions supporting ACAS/TCAS, transponder, DME, UAT, and related RF functions across the product portfolio.

You will contribute to new product development and support existing products, working with multidisciplinary engineering teams across electrical, mechanical, software, and systems engineering. This role involves RF design, troubleshooting, and customer support, with responsibility for resolving production and field issues while advancing new system capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Derive RF hardware requirements from system-level specifications
• Define RF functional blocks supporting surveillance and communication system architectures
• Perform RF and analog circuit design from component-level through full system integration
• Support detailed design, analysis, development, and hardware testing activities
• Participate in internal and external design reviews
• Present technical concepts, designs, and results to program management and customers
• Collaborate with mechanical, systems, and software engineering teams to meet performance requirements
• Support peer design reviews, verification testing, and transition of designs into production
• Develop enhancements to incorporate new RF and wireless capabilities into existing systems
• Work independently and within multidisciplinary teams to deliver RF systems and assemblies
• Apply strong analytical and communication skills to technical problem-solving and execution

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience, or a graduate degree with a minimum of 2 years of related experience
• Academic background in electromagnetic (EM) and RF/microwave theory

Preferred Additional Skills

• Experience designing RF CCAs across UHF through E-band frequency ranges, with emphasis in L-band
• Experience with RF design elements including frequency synthesizers, up/down converters, and front-end electronics
• Experience with simulation and modeling tools such as CST Microwave Studio, HFSS, AWR Microwave Office, and/or ADS
• Understanding of RF component performance including amplifiers, oscillators, attenuators, mixers, and filters
• Working knowledge of S-parameters, matching networks, cascade analysis, and RF system behavior
• Experience with gain budget analysis including gain, noise figure, linearity, and noise power
• Understanding of RF filtering concepts including types, bandwidth, and implementation methods
• Strong understanding of noise figure, noise temperature, receiver sensitivity, and signal-to-noise relationships
• Knowledge of temperature effects, impedance matching, interconnects, and isolation requirements
• Experience designing to DO-160 or MIL-STD requirements for RF electronics

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an Affinection and Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information

Acron Aviation maintains a drug‑free workplace and conducts pre‑employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E‑Verify employer.