Lead RF Engineer

Safran • Rochester, NY

1d

About The Position

Safran Federal Systems is seeking a Lead RF Engineer to develop a next-generation receiver with high jamming resilience for operation in demanding environments. The engineer will rapidly iterate and test design candidates, then help mature the strongest prototype into hardened, deployable hardware. The role spans system design, component selection, schematic capture, PCB layout, simulation and modeling, and cross-functional test development and validation. The successful candidate will provide technical direction, support ruggedization and qualification, mentor engineers, and contribute to design practices, documentation, proposals, reviews, and applicable government program deliverables. The position is part of a small, collaborative team developing resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (R-PNT) solutions for defense, government, and commercial applications.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• At least 6 years of experience in RF and electrical hardware design and validation.
• Strong knowledge of RF receiver circuit design and tuning.
• Experience with RF stripline design, particularly antennas and directional couplers.
• Knowledge of Doppler effects in high-velocity and high-acceleration systems.
• Knowledge of techniques for establishing resilience to jamming.
• Knowledge of multi-antenna receivers and MIMO.
• Knowledge of automatic gain control (AGC) techniques.
• Understanding of the software-defined radio (SDR) signal chain, from the front end through demodulated bits.
• Experience designing for harsh environments, including shock and vibration, wide temperature ranges, high velocity and acceleration, and radiation hardening.
• Prior work in defense, aerospace, or other high-reliability hardware environments.
• Security clearance or ability to obtain one.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including building trust, working effectively with customers and clients, considering different perspectives, and making sound decisions.
• Ability to remain poised under pressure and communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
• Ability to remain stationary for 50% of the time and occasionally move around the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, and other resources.
• Collaborative attitude and willingness to work as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

• Background in GNSS or high-precision timing and sensing systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead RF and non-RF circuit design, including schematic capture, component selection, PCB layout, simulation, and modeling as needed.
• Guide technical direction across projects as requirements and priorities are established, collaborating with other disciplines on system designs and requirements.
• Support ruggedization and qualification efforts to progress lab-demonstrated performance toward field-ready, deployable hardware.
• Support qualification and validation of key RF test infrastructure.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen team capabilities in RF design, general engineering design, integration, testing, RF fundamentals, hardware workflows, and debugging.
• Develop and maintain internal RF and board-level design practices, standards, and engineering documentation.
• Contribute to proposals, technical reviews, and applicable government program deliverables.
• Communicate with cross-functional teams and suppliers and help influence decisions.
• Assess and review PCB layouts for component placement, manufacturability, thermal management, and electrical performance.
• Support system-level testing and validation across disciplines to ensure functionality and design margin.
• Work with a cross-functional team to design and implement receiver tests and benchmark performance against other designs.

What This Job Offers

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