RF Design Engineer III

SEAKR Engineering•Centennial, CO

About The Position

SEAKR Engineering is seeking a talented and highly motivated RF Design Engineer to contribute to the development of electronic radio-frequency systems for space vehicle applications. The role designs and verifies RF circuits and assemblies for communication, signal analysis, oscillation, distribution, and digitization. The engineer works with project teams throughout system development, collaborates across disciplines, supports PCB layout, documents and analyzes designs, troubleshoots hardware, and helps improve development processes. The role also balances concurrent assignments, provides guidance to less experienced RF engineers, and communicates results through reports and presentations to project and product leadership.

Requirements

BSEE or equivalent university degree.
Understanding of RF circuit theory, including transmission-line propagation and coupling.
Understanding of oscillator and clock circuit operation and key performance parameters.
Understanding of RF circuit and signal characterization and key performance parameters, including Sij, Zij, Return Loss, Insertion Loss, SNR, SINAD, SFDR, ENOB, IMD3, NPR, and Noise Figure.
Skills in schematic capture.
Skills in RF design and analysis using commercial EDA tools.
Experience in 3D electromagnetic field modeling with CAD tools.
Experience in RF component and circuit verification measurements using multi-GHz VNAs, Spectrum Analyzers, Vector Signal Analyzers, Vector Signal Sources, and/or Phase Noise Analyzers.
Experience designing front-end RF receiver and transmitter circuits.
Experience designing low-phase-noise oscillator and distribution circuits.
Experience in RF circuit board layout and transmission-line design.
Experience working in collaborative design where success depends on collective efforts.
Excellent communication skills.
Experience presenting briefings to internal project teams.
U.S. citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

Siemens Xpedition schematic-capture tools preferred.
Cadence/AWR Microwave Office or Keysight ADS commercial EDA tools preferred.
Ansys SIwave and HFSS CAD tools preferred.
Understanding of sampling and signal processing in digital RF systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

Design front-end RF signal-chain circuits and assemblies for space vehicle communication and signal analysis systems using filters, amplifiers, mixers, couplers, impedance matching networks, and related components.
Design stable, low-phase-noise oscillators and distribution networks.
Design RF digitizer circuits and assemblies using multi-GSPS ADC/DAC components.
Work with project teams to establish technical requirements, perform system trade studies, conduct design reviews, and track delivery schedules.
Collaborate with RF group members and other engineers to ensure multidisciplinary requirements are satisfied in assigned designs.
Create engineering documentation according to SEAKR’s workflow.
Support PCB layout engineers to help ensure circuit boards meet RF performance requirements.
Verify design performance through systematic laboratory measurements of engineering models.
Perform worst-case RF circuit analysis following SEAKR procedures.
Assist with troubleshooting questionable RF hardware identified during testing.
Balance time across multiple concurrent assignments.
Provide training and guidance to less experienced RF engineers.
Work with the RF Engineering Group to improve hardware development processes.
Create clear reports and deliver summary presentations to product and project leadership.