Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering Intern

City of Boulder•Raleigh, NC

3d•$17 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Boulder is dedicated to enhancing the safety and quality of life for its residents and visitors. As part of the city's commitment to public safety, we operate a robust communications infrastructure that supports first responders, law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services (EMS). Our Public Safety Communications Team designs, maintains, and optimizes mission-critical wireless systems that ensure seamless communication across all public safety agencies. The City of Boulder is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated RF Engineer Intern to join our Public Safety Communications team. In this role, you will work alongside experienced RF engineers to design, test, and optimize radio communication systems used by Boulder’s first responders and public safety agencies. This internship offers hands-on experience with public safety radio technologies, including systems used for emergency response, disaster management, and day-to-day operations. This is an especially exciting time to work with the Radio Services team as they bring in a new radio system. The selected candidate will have a rare opportunity to observe the design review process, equipment roll out and cutover plan coordination.

Requirements

Ability to demonstrate an interest in contributing to public safety and improving communication systems that support first responders.
Ability to demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on optimizing system performance.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment with a strong commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality solutions.
Knowledge and basic understanding of RF principles, including signal propagation, modulation, and antenna design.
Skills at an excellent level in communication, both written and verbal.
Must hold and maintain a valid drivers' license.
Must successfully pass a background check before first day of work.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and awareness of public safety communication systems (e.g., P25, TETRA, DMR) or related standards is a plus.
Amateur radio license is a plus.
Experience with radio systems used by public safety agencies, including repeaters, mobile radios, and base stations.
Experience as an end-user in the field is also beneficial.
Prior internship or academic projects related to RF systems, communications infrastructure, or public safety technologies.
Knowledge and familiarity with RF testing equipment such as spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and network analyzers.
Current or former public safety Explorer, Cadet or other volunteer is a plus.

Responsibilities

Assist in RF System Design: Work with senior engineers to help design, simulate, and optimize radio frequency (RF) systems for public safety applications, including base stations, repeaters, dispatch center radio consoles and portable/mobile radios. Focus on enhancing communication coverage and reliability throughout the City of Boulder and surrounding areas.
Testing & Validation: Support field and laboratory testing to ensure that radio communication systems meet performance standards and city-specific requirements. Analyze data and provide recommendations to optimize coverage, signal quality, and reliability.
Field Measurements: Assist in performing RF surveys and measurements throughout Boulder to assess system performance in various environments (e.g., urban areas, mountainous terrain, underground facilities). Work on identifying areas with coverage gaps or signal interference.
Troubleshooting & Optimization: Participate in diagnosing RF system issues related to coverage, interference, and equipment failures. Recommend solutions for improving system performance in critical public safety scenarios.
Documentation: Contribute to technical reports and maintain detailed documentation of testing procedures, results, assets and design specifications to ensure accurate records for system maintenance and future upgrades.
System Integration: Assist in integrating RF components and communication equipment into existing infrastructure, ensuring compatibility with Boulder’s public safety systems. Help ensure compliance with industry standards for mission-critical communication.
Collaboration: Work with a cross-functional team that includes hardware, software, and systems engineers. Participate in meetings and contribute ideas for enhancing communication reliability for Boulder’s first responders and public safety teams.