Principal RF Engineer

Axon•Sterling, VA

58d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join Axon and be a Force for Good. At Axon, we're on a mission to Protect Life. We're explorers, pursuing society's most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other. Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you'll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter. Your Impact We are seeking a Principal RF Engineer with advanced expertise in RF front-end systems and antenna design to spear-head the development of high-performance Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms. You will be instrumental in architecting and implementing RF front ends, with an emphasis on high-power amplifiers (>50dBm), LNAs, and antennas capable of operating across broad and dynamic frequency ranges. This role demands both technical leadership and hands-on design excellence, supporting next-generation RF systems critical to our airspace security solutions.

Requirements

M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field (Ph.D. preferred).
8+ years of experience in advanced RF system development, particularly in SDR, wireless, or sensing domains.
Demonstrated expertise in High-power RF amplifier and LNA design, Multiband and wideband RF front-end architecture, Antenna design, simulation, and validation
Proficient in RF simulation and test tools (ADS, HFSS, CST, MATLAB/Python, VNA, spectrum analyzer, etc.).
Deep understanding of propagation physics, impedance matching, linearity, and thermal effects in RF systems.
Experience with counter-UAS, radar, SIGINT, or defense-oriented RF systems.
Familiarity with SDR platforms such as USRP, GNURadio, or custom FPGA-based solutions.
Experience with beamforming, MIMO, direction-finding, or geolocation technologies.
Proven record of patents, publications, or fielded RF systems.

Responsibilities

Architect and develop RF front ends including PAs, LNAs, and filters.
Specify and integrate antennas for SDR platforms, ensuring optimized performance across frequency bands and dynamic environments.
Lead RF validation, characterization, and environmental qualification for field deployments.
Collaborate with other RF engineers, antenna experts, hardware, software, and systems teams to optimize performance in real-world scenarios.
Serve as a technical leader and mentor, supporting the long-term roadmap and cross-functional integration