RF Engineer

Cherokee Federal•Boulder, CO

39d•$105,000 - $110,000

About The Position

An active Public Trust or the ability to obtain a Public Trust is required for consideration. The RF (Radio Frequency) Engineer will help us solve the nation's most pressing telecommunications challenges by supporting the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) with testing and evaluation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Radio Frequency and Interference Monitoring System (RFIMS). RFIMS is designed to monitor, identify, and mitigate harmful radio frequency interference from mobile wireless carriers at weather satellite earth stations.

Requirements

BS in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or Physics, specializing in RF engineering/electromagnetics + 4-6 years experience; OR
MS in EE or Physics, specializing in RF engineering/electromagnetics + 2-4 years experience; OR
PhD in EE or Physics, specializing in RF engineering/electromagnetics + 0-2 years experience.
Must be proficient with Matlab and/or Python.
Must be familiar with instrument control via SCPI.
Mut be familiar with operation of spectrum analyzers and signal generators.
Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs.
Must be able to walk distances up to 100 yards in uneven terrain.
Must be able to climb ladders and be comfortable on a rooftop with proper safety equipment.
Must have a valid US driver’s license and be able to drive government vehicles such as a large pickup truck.
Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Nice To Haves

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in waveform synthesis and modeling.
Preference will be given to candidates with experience performing RF measurements in a field environment.

Responsibilities

Design and execute controlled lab and field experiments that simulate dynamic spectrum sharing environments.
Configure and operate software-defined radios (SDRs), signal generators, spectrum analyzers, and testbeds to evaluate RF behavior under interference and coexistence scenarios.
Develop automated test scripts to simulate real-world usage patterns and monitor system behavior.
Collect and process high-fidelity RF recordings to support post-test signal analysis and characterization.
Evaluate performance degradation or resilience of incumbent and commercial systems operating in shared frequency bands.
Maintain and improve software tools for test automation, signal capture, and post-processing of RF data.
Implement real-time control of test instrumentation using SCPI and Python-based tools.
Develop utilities for spectrum occupancy analysis, interference detection, and protocol-level decoding.
Analyze measurement data to assess coexistence risks, interference susceptibility, and spectral efficiency.
Prepare technical documentation including test plans, configuration descriptions, methodologies, and results.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.