Manager, RF Test Engineering

AeroVironment•Albuquerque, NM

6d•$106,500 - $181,000

About The Position

AeroVironment is seeking an experienced RF Test Engineering Manager to lead RF test engineering activities supporting development, integration, verification, qualification, and production of advanced RF and electronic systems. The position provides technical leadership and personnel management for a geographically distributed team of RF test engineers and technicians in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Germantown, Maryland. The manager leads test strategy development, automated test solutions, system troubleshooting, and efforts to ensure product performance and compliance with technical requirements. The role works with multidisciplinary engineering teams across both locations to establish effective test methodologies, develop and maintain test infrastructure, and improve test efficiency, repeatability, and quality. Responsibilities span the product lifecycle, from early prototypes and engineering characterization through formal verification, qualification, production transition, and ongoing production support. The position calls for a strong technical foundation in RF and microwave engineering, hands-on familiarity with RF test equipment, automated test systems, and laboratory operations, and the ability to mentor engineers, coordinate resources across programs and locations, foster collaboration, and establish standardized test engineering practices. The work may take place in office and manufacturing environments. The position requires access to ITAR/EAR-controlled information; applicants must meet applicable U.S.-person or export-license requirements. U.S. citizenship is required for this role, and the employee must be willing to work on government contracts and able to obtain a security clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
Typically 8 or more years of relevant engineering experience, including demonstrated technical leadership or personnel management responsibilities.
Strong knowledge of RF and microwave principles, including signal generation and analysis, gain, noise figure, sensitivity, linearity, phase noise, impedance matching, S-parameters, modulation, and RF system performance characterization.
Hands-on experience with RF test equipment, such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, vector signal analyzers, oscilloscopes, power meters, and noise figure analyzers.
Experience developing and executing RF test plans, procedures, and automated test solutions; proficiency with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar test automation and data analysis tools.
Experience with RF system integration, troubleshooting, verification, and validation, including interpreting schematics, block diagrams, interface specifications, requirements, and test results.
Ability to lead technical teams, coordinate engineering resources, establish priorities, mentor personnel, and communicate effectively across engineering disciplines, program management, and organizational leadership, including across multiple locations.
Experience with engineering development processes, configuration management, test documentation, requirements-based verification, and structured technical reviews throughout the product development lifecycle.
Must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR/EAR or be eligible for an export license; U.S. citizenship is required for this role.
Must be willing to work on government contracts and able to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Prior experience directly managing RF test engineering personnel in a multidisciplinary product development organization.
Experience leading geographically distributed engineering teams and establishing communication practices, consistent technical standards, resource coordination, and employee development across sites.
Experience testing advanced RF systems such as phased-array antennas, beamforming receivers, radar, electronic warfare systems, telemetry systems, software-defined radios, or complex wireless communications equipment.
Experience with high-speed digital interfaces, FPGA-based systems, embedded software, RFSoCs, and digital signal processing as applied to RF system integration and testing.
Experience developing scalable automated test architectures, hardware-in-the-loop test systems, production test equipment, and reusable instrumentation control, data collection, analysis, and reporting software frameworks.
Familiarity with environmental and electromagnetic compatibility testing, including MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, DO-160, or similar standards.
Experience supporting defense or aerospace programs, including formal verification and qualification testing, technical data packages, manufacturing transition, and customer-facing technical reviews.
Experience managing RF laboratory facilities, equipment budgets, calibration programs, laboratory safety, test asset configuration, and capital equipment planning.
Active (or active within the last two years) Secret or higher DoD security clearance is highly desired but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead, manage, and develop a geographically distributed team of RF test engineers and technicians, including assignments, mentorship, performance management, professional development, recruiting, and team culture.
Provide technical leadership across programs and sites by developing test strategies, plans, procedures, methodologies, and acceptance criteria for RF components, subsystems, and integrated systems.
Oversee the design, development, integration, and maintenance of automated RF test systems, including fixtures, instrumentation, software, and data acquisition and analysis tools.
Direct RF characterization, integration, troubleshooting, verification, and qualification of complex RF and microwave systems, including receivers, transmitters, phased arrays, antennas, frequency conversion systems, and associated digital and embedded electronics.
Collaborate with systems, RF design, electrical, FPGA, software, mechanical, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure test coverage, requirements traceability, defect resolution, and successful product development.
Coordinate laboratory operations and test infrastructure at both sites, including equipment selection, procurement, calibration, maintenance, configuration, utilization, safety, and organization.
Support design reviews, test readiness reviews, verification activities, and technical investigations; evaluate results, identify performance limitations, resolve issues, and communicate recommendations to program leadership.
Develop standardized test engineering processes, documentation practices, automation frameworks, and continuous improvement initiatives across both sites.
Support program planning and execution by developing test estimates, schedules, resource plans, equipment budgets, and technical risk assessments, and by monitoring progress against commitments.
Lead test engineering activities for production transition, including production test strategy, acceptance testing, equipment deployment, manufacturing troubleshooting, yield improvement, and coordination with manufacturing and quality personnel.