Effector RF Design Section Lead

RTX • Tucson, AZ

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Effector RF Design (ERFD) Department is the engineering organization responsible for the design and technical leadership of advanced RF hardware supporting tactical missile systems. Our engineers develop RF solutions spanning the full development lifecycle—from concept development and architecture through detailed design, integration, qualification, and transition to production. We specialize in RF circuit card assemblies, transmitters, receivers, exciters, sensors, antennas, and other RF subsystems that enable critical defense capabilities. While hardware design is a core capability, our responsibilities extend well beyond design. ERFD engineers provide technical leadership throughout product development, including architecture development, supplier technical oversight, technical management of multidisciplinary engineering teams, hardware integration, and qualification testing. We also support fielded products by developing capability enhancements, implementing redesigns driven by component obsolescence, and providing subject matter expertise for the most challenging RF issues encountered during production and sustainment. We're looking for a technical leader who is passionate about engineering excellence, developing people, and helping teams solve challenging RF engineering problems. The Effector RF Products Department is seeking an experienced Principal RF Electrical Engineer to serve as a Section Lead of our RF Electronics section. This position combines hands-on technical contributions with functional leadership. Approximately 85% of your time will be spent supporting engineering programs across the full development lifecycle of RF products. Depending on program needs, you may contribute through hardware design, technical leadership, supplier management, requirements development, architecture, integration and test, or by leading multidisciplinary engineering teams responsible for delivering complex RF products. The remaining 15% of your time will focus on leading a section of RF engineers by providing coaching, mentoring, career development, staffing support, and fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This position is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys developing people as much as solving technical challenges and wants to help build an exceptional engineering organization. The successful candidate will be recognized as a trusted technical leader who is equally passionate about advancing technology, developing engineers, and helping teams succeed. This position is onsite in Tucson, Arizona.

Requirements

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience, or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in at least two of the following: RF hardware design and development, RF hardware analysis and simulation, RF hardware integration, verification, and troubleshooting
• Experience using one or more industry-standard RF development tools, such as: Keysight ADS, HFSS, Genesys/SystemVue, Mentor DX Designer (or equivalent)
• Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.
• U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance
• DoD Clearance: Secret
• Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading or mentoring engineers.
• Experience with performance management, coaching, or career development.
• Demonstrated technical leadership on complex RF development programs.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams.
• Experience with supplier technical oversight.
• Experience architecting RF systems and defining hardware requirements.
• Working knowledge of RF technologies including: RF circuit card assemblies (CCAs) such as receivers, exciters, transceivers, and transmitters, RF Sensors
• Understanding of RF performance metrics such as phase noise, receiver sensitivity, mixer spurs, automatic gain control (AGC), intermodulation distortion (IMD), instantaneous bandwidth, bit error rate, and ADC performance.
• Experience using RF laboratory equipment including network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, and arbitrary waveform generators.
• EVMS or Control Account Manager (CAM) experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills.
• A passion for developing engineers and building high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a section of 10-20 RF Electronics engineers.
• Conduct performance management, career development discussions, and regular one-on-one meetings.
• Mentor engineers and foster technical growth across the organization.
• Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning.
• Partner with department leadership on strategic initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Foster a collaborative and engaging work environment.
• Support employee recognition, engagement, and retention initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, engineering processes, and RTX values.
• Serve as a technical contributor, technical lead, or engineering manager on RF hardware development efforts.
• Lead or support the design, development, integration, and qualification of RF hardware.
• Develop RF and microwave hardware including transmitters, receivers, exciters, RF sensors, RF modules, and/or circuit card assemblies (CCAs).
• Provide technical oversight of suppliers developing RF hardware and ensure products meet program technical, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams responsible for the successful execution of RF products.
• Perform or oversee RF analysis, simulation, integration, verification, troubleshooting, and qualification testing.
• Support design reviews, technical risk management, and root cause investigations.
• Develop technical solutions for complex RF issues affecting fielded products, including capability enhancements, redesigns driven by obsolescence, and other engineering changes requiring advanced RF expertise.
• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Power Engineering, Manufacturing, Test, Quality, and Supply Chain organizations.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays.
• annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal