RF Engineer

Thales Aerospace Communications; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

A leader in aerospace communications is seeking an RF Engineer to support the design, analysis, and testing of innovative satellite communication products. The role entails circuit design, development testing, and production support, requiring a strong background in RF electronics, along with relevant experience in equipment and simulation tools. Preferred candidates will be committed to excellence in their technical contributions and must align with affirmative action and equity preferences.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3-year degree with honours or 4-year degree in Engineering.
• 2-10 years of working experience in an RF development environment.
• Ability to design power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, and cavity filters.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop circuits for RF and analogue products.
• Ensure reliability requirements including EMC and safety are met.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance.

Skills

RF metrology

Design experience in power amplifiers

Circuit design

Schematic capture

PCB layout tools

Analog simulation tools

Education

BEng or BSc in Engineering

Postgraduate degree in engineering (MSc/MEng/PhD) preferred

Tools

Altium Designer

Microwave Office

LTSpice

Job description

Overall Job Function

Responsible for the technical support of the design team in the design, analysis and testing of satellite communication products, including various complex antennas, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers and cavity filters.

Support product development evaluations and final product characterization testing, working with the development team to provide testability planning, strategies and methodologies.

Responsible for developing and executing test solutions for RF products from concept and development through to the manufacturing process.

Job Responsabilities

• Design and develop circuits from concept through to manufacturing of a range of RF and analogue electronic products.
• Sub-system specification in order to translate the requirements derived from upper level (system specification) into more detailed technical specifications of how the subsystem should function internally to create the required responses to certain input signals.
• Ensuring that reliability requirements are met in the design: these include E.M.C (electromagnetic compatibility), safety, manufacturability and thermal design aspects.
• Support production in terms of trouble shooting if there is any issue with the existing test programs impacting customer delivery.
• Specify and recommend test resources, processes, capabilities, and technology to enhance production capability.
• Responsible for lab work during the prototype phase of product development.
• Frequent usage of RF equipment including: Spectrum and Network Analysers, Oscilloscope, Power Meter, Signal Generator, and Power Supplies.
• Adopt and/or participate in technological innovation or methodologies.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to other members of the discipline, including production.
• Support the system engineering with low-level design validation.
• Contribute to the system-level or conceptual design.
• Assist with Industrialisation of prototype designs.
• Assist with Production and field return failure analysis.

Job Requirements

• A minimum of a three-year degree with honours or four year degree in Engineering, a post graduate degree in engineering (MSc/MEng/PhD) is preferred
• 2-10 years working experience in a RF development environment
• Design experience in power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers and cavity filter design
• Experience with/in:
  • RF metrology (e.g. digital modulation, Spectrum and Network Analysers, Oscilloscope, Power Meter, Signal Generator, and Power Supplies)
  • schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Altium Designer)
  • RF and analog simulation tools (Microwave Office, LTSpice)
  • designing or testing for RTCA DO-160 compliance

Affirmative Action and/or EE candidates will be given first preference as per our employment equity strategies.