Senior Specialist, RF/Wireless Engineer

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 208,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Education assistance

Parental leave

Paid time off

Company-paid holidays

Job summary

L3Harris Technologies is seeking a Senior RF/Wireless Engineer in Carlsbad, CA to design high-performance RF hardware for defense applications. You will lead RF architectures, perform analyses, and work across engineering disciplines to deliver reliable subsystems for critical communications.

The role requires deep RF/microwave expertise, hands-on lab skills, and the ability to mentor peers. A security clearance is preferred, with a 9/80 schedule and opportunities across the product lifecycle in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of relevant experience; graduate degree with 4+ years is acceptable.
• Defense RF hardware design experience preferred and hands-on lab proficiency.
• Ability to work independently, mentor teams, and communicate across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Lead RF architectures and hardware designs for communication systems across circuit cards and subsystems.
• Translate requirements into RF hardware implementations and perform design reviews.
• Contribute to proposals by outlining technical approaches, risks, budgets, and schedules.
• Perform RF/analog design, modeling, simulation, integration, and verification at multiple levels.
• Collaborate with systems, mechanical, and software teams to meet performance and manufacturability goals.
• Provide technical leadership through peer reviews and guidance through development and sustainment.

Skills

RF/microwave theory

Link budget

S-parameters

Power budgets

Noise figure

Temperature effects

IP2/IP3

Impedance matching

Cadence AWR

EDA tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Cadence AWR

Microwave Office

PathWave RF Synthesis

Siemens EDA

Mentor Graphics

Job description

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.

L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Title: RF/Wireless Senior Specialist Engineer

Job Code: 45851

Job Location: Carlsbad, CA/San Diego, CA

Job Schedule: 9/80- employees work 9 out of 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off

At L3Harris, innovation and mission come together. We are seeking a Senior Specialist RF/Wireless Engineer to help design and deliver advanced, mission-critical RF hardware solutions for military communications systems supporting the warfighter.

As a senior technical contributor, you will apply your expertise in RF and microwave design to develop high-performance hardware for challenging defense applications. You will be responsible for architecting, designing, and supporting the development of key RF subsystems and circuitry that are essential to reliable communication in complex operational environments.

Essential Functions:

• Lead the development of RF architectures and hardware designs for communication systems, translating system requirements into effective circuit card, module, and subsystem-level solutions.
• Conduct and support circuit card and subsystem development activities and design reviews, including translating customer and system requirements into RF hardware implementations.
• Contribute to proposal efforts and program execution by developing technical approaches, identifying risks, estimating budgets and schedules, and recommending practical RF architecture solutions.
• Perform RF/analog design, analysis, modeling, simulation, integration, and verification of high-frequency and microwave hardware at the component, subsystem, and system levels.
• Collaborate across systems, mechanical, and software engineering disciplines to develop integrated solutions that meet technical, performance, quality, and manufacturability objectives.
• Provide technical leadership through peer design reviews, verification test support, and guidance of RF hardware designs through development, production, and sustainment.
• Manage technical tasking, schedules, and priorities for assigned efforts across the product lifecycle, supporting concept development, qualification, production, and sustainment.
• Mentor and guide less-experienced engineers while promoting innovation, sound engineering judgment, and successful program execution.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations on concepts, designs, analyses, and results to engineering, program, and leadership teams to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Maintain the ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance; an active clearance is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 6 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 10 years of prior related experience.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Hands-on experience with lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, receivers, signal generators, amplifiers, antennas, and power meters.
• Strong foundation in electromagnetics, RF/microwave theory, and electronic warfare.
• Ability to work independently and provide technical guidance to multi-disciplinary teams in the development of RF systems and assemblies.
• Experience designing RF products from UHF through E-band, including frequency synthesizers, up/down converters, front-end electronics, antenna tracking electronics, and complete RF systems.
• Experience with Cadence AWR/Microwave Office, PathWave RF Synthesis (Genesys), and Siemens EDA (Mentor Graphics) or similar tools.
• Strong understanding of passive and active RF components, including amplifiers, oscillators, attenuators, mixers, and filters, and their impact on system performance.
• Working knowledge of S-parameters, matching networks, cascade analysis, gain budgets, noise figure, linearity, filtering, and related RF metrics.
• Strong understanding of noise figure, noise temperature, Eb/No, BER, receiver sensitivity, temperature effects, impedance interfaces, and isolation requirements.
• Experience supporting RF architecture definition, developing link budgets, and performing system-level analysis.
• Knowledge of nonlinear RF effects, including intermodulation, IP2, IP3, group delay variation, dynamic range, and mitigation techniques.
• Understanding of power budgets and environmental design impacts.
• Awareness of industry trends and emerging technologies, with the ability to support technology roadmaps that improve capability while reducing cost, size, weight, and power.
• Familiarity with military and commercial SATCOM standards.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, and the Greater D.C. area, Denver, or NYC areas is $111,500-$207,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

#LI-CS3

L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to 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, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

By submitting your resume for this position, you understand and agree that L3Harris Technologies may share your resume, as well as any other related personal information or documentation you provide, with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies for the purpose of considering you for other available positions.

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