Staff RF Engineer (R5991)

Shield; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI seeks an RF and Microwave Hardware Design Engineer to design compact RF modules for airborne and ground systems. You will own active and passive RF circuits, PCB assemblies, packaging interfaces, and lab verification, transitioning designs to production.

The role emphasizes hands-on module design, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and on-site lab work to meet stringent performance, size, weight, power, and environmental constraints.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Hands-on RF or microwave circuit/module ownership through fabrication and test.
• Experience with RF PCB layouts including controlled impedance and signal integrity.
• Proficiency with RF lab instruments and calibration.

Responsibilities

• Own RF/microwave module designs from requirements to production release.
• Design active/passive RF circuits: LNA, PA, filters, mixers, switches.
• Develop RF front-end assemblies meeting gain, NF, Pout, linearity, isolation.
• Perform circuit/EM analysis with ADS, AWR, HFSS, CST and validate with measurements.
• Create/read RF/mixed-signal PCB designs with proper grounding and shielding.
• Laboratory characterization using network/spectrum analyzers and meters.
• Diagnose hardware issues like instability, intermodulation, desense, and leakage.
• Collaborate with mechanical/avionics teams to meet SWaP and environmental constraints.
• Develop verification methods and production test strategies; document results.
• Support environmental/EM qualification and flight test as needed.

Skills

RF circuit design

S-parameters

Impedance matching

RF PCB layouts

Laboratory instrumentation

Altium Designer

ADS/AWR/HFSS/CST

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Keysight ADS

Cadence AWR

HFSS

CST

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BATaircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

We are seeking an RF and Microwave Hardware Design Engineer to design and deliver compact, high-performance RF modules for airborne and ground systems. You will own active and passive RF circuits, PCB assemblies, packaging interfaces, laboratory verification, and transition to production. The center of gravity of this position is hands-on module design rather than top-level communications architecture, waveform development, or link-budget ownership.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Own RF and microwave module designs from requirements and architecture through schematic capture, component selection, layout, bring-up, verification, qualification, and production release.
• Design active and passive RF circuits such as low-noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, filters and multiplexers, RF switches, limiters, couplers, attenuators, power detectors, and frequency-conversion stages.
• Develop RF front-end assemblies that meet gain, noise figure, output power, linearity, compression, efficiency, harmonic and spurious-emission, stability, isolation, and out-of-band rejection requirements.
• Perform circuit and electromagnetic analysis using tools such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, HFSS, or CST, and correlate models with measured hardware performance.
• Create and review RF and mixed-signal PCB designs, including controlled-impedance routing, grounding, shielding, stack‑up definition, power distribution, and placement of sensitive or high-power components.
• Plan and execute laboratory characterization using network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, noise‑figure analyzers, power meters, oscilloscopes, and automated test equipment.
• Diagnose difficult hardware issues involving instability, oscillation, intermodulation, self‑interference, desense, thermal drift, mismatch, leakage, and electromagnetic coupling.
• Work closely with mechanical, thermal, avionics, communications, antenna, manufacturing, and test engineers to integrate RF hardware into size‑-, weight‑-, power‑-, cooling‑, and environmental constraints.
• Develop verification methods, production test strategies, calibration approaches, and clear technical documentation that make designs repeatable and manufacturable.
• Support environmental and electromagnetic qualification, supplier engagements, hardware integration, ground test, and flight test as needed.
• Contribute to design reviews, share technical knowledge, and mentor other engineers at a level appropriate to the position.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands‑on experience owning an RF or microwave circuit, module, or PCB assembly through fabrication, bring‑up, debugging, and measured verification.
• Strong understanding of S‑parameters, impedance matching, transmission lines, stability, gain and noise figure, linearity and compression, nonlinear products, isolation, and cascaded RF performance.
• Experience creating or reviewing RF PCB layouts with controlled impedance, grounding, shielding, component placement, and signal‑integrity considerations.
• Proficiency with common RF laboratory instruments and calibration methods, with the ability to distinguish hardware behavior from measurement artifacts.
• Ability to use simulation and measured data to make sound design decisions, document tradeoffs, and close requirements with objective evidence.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with cross‑functional engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Ability to work on‑site in a laboratory and hardware‑development environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with RF front ends for airborne, defense, space, robotics, or other high‑reliability systems.
• Experience integrating GaN or GaAs power amplifiers, MMICs, LNAs, switches, limiters, frequency converters, or high‑selectivity filter technologies.
• Experience designing for simultaneous transmit and receive operation, high‑power RF, intermodulation control, adjacent‑band rejection, or co‑site interference and desense.
• Experience with Altium Designer and one or more RF or electromagnetic simulation environments such as ADS, AWR, HFSS, or CST.
• Working knowledge of thermal design, RF packaging, connector and cable interfaces, tolerance analysis, and design for manufacturability and test.
• Experience with EMI and EMC design and qualification for military or aerospace hardware.
• Experience developing automated characterization or data‑analysis tools in Python, MATLAB, or a similar environment.
• Experience transitioning RF hardware from prototype through qualification and low‑rate production.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance, including access at the S/SAR level, if required by the program.

$185,000 - $275,000 a year

Full‑time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part‑time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.