RF Test Engineer

Ralliant•Beaverton, OR

5h•Onsite

About The Position

The RF Test Engineer joins the New Product Development team to develop custom hardware and software test solutions for high-performance RF, microwave, precision analog, mixed-signal, and digital ASICs and microelectronic components. The work spans early test strategy, characterization, calibration, fixture design, test automation, correlation, qualification, and transfer into repeatable wafer-level and packaged-device production. This is a hands-on component test role focused on signal integrity, low-noise measurement, and measurement accuracy, rather than wireless systems, radio networks, Wi-Fi, or communications protocols. The engineer develops and releases automated test solutions, translates specifications into test methods and limits, uses RF and electrical instrumentation to characterize devices, and designs custom test hardware and software. The role also integrates applications with wafer probers, handlers, and factory equipment; troubleshoots electrical, mechanical, and software systems; validates and correlates applications; and works with engineering, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and customers to transfer products into controlled production. The position includes documenting solutions and training technicians and operators. The position is based in Beaverton, Oregon, and is full-time and exempt. Essential functions are subject to U.S. Government ITAR requirements; candidates must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and provide proof before starting. Offers are contingent on applicable pre-employment screening.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related technical field, with at least five years of relevant engineering experience, or an equivalent combination of education and directly applicable military or industry experience.
Demonstrated experience developing test or characterization solutions for RF or microwave semiconductor devices, ASICs, packaged components, hybrids, modules, or comparable high-performance electronic hardware.
Hands-on proficiency with VNAs and spectrum analyzers, plus practical experience with complementary RF instrumentation such as signal generators, amplifiers, noise sources, power meters or sensors, and RF switching systems.
Working knowledge of RF measurement fundamentals, including S-parameters, calibration, impedance and reference planes, insertion and return loss, gain, dynamic range, noise figure, linearity, signal integrity, and measurement uncertainty.
Working knowledge of RF PCB and interconnect design considerations, including controlled impedance, grounding, shielding, connector and cable selection, parasitic effects, and signal-path loss.
Experience developing maintainable software for instrument control and automated testing, including test sequencing, calibration and correction, data acquisition, limit evaluation, and results reporting, using Python, C/C++, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or a comparable environment.
Ability to read and troubleshoot schematics and layout information and contribute to the design of custom test PCBs, fixtures, cables, interconnects, and electromechanical assemblies.
Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills, including the ability to isolate interactions among the device under test, test hardware, instrumentation, software, calibration, and production interfaces.
Clear written and verbal communication skills and ability to work independently while collaborating across engineering, operations, quality, and customer-facing teams.
Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and provide required proof before beginning work, due to ITAR compliance requirements.
Successful completion of applicable pre-employment requirements, which may include drug screening, background and criminal history checks, a motor vehicle record search, a financial record check, and other screening required for the position or work location.

Nice To Haves

Experience with wafer-level test, wafer probers, probe cards, calibration substrates, or wafer-sort application development.
Experience with packaged-device handlers and integration of handlers, probers, switching systems, and test instrumentation.
Experience designing RF test fixtures and applying fixture characterization or de-embedding methods.
Experience developing test applications on automated test equipment (ATE) or custom rack-and-stack platforms.
Experience with high-reliability microelectronics, aerospace or defense products, or regulated quality environments such as ISO 9001 or AS9100.
Experience with statistical analysis, test correlation, guard-banding, capability analysis, yield improvement, or production test optimization.
Experience with precision analog or mixed-signal test, laser trim systems, BER test, high-speed digital test, networked test systems, or Windows/Linux system configuration.
Experience presenting technical findings to customers and supporting test-method reviews, product qualifications, or manufacturing readiness reviews.

Responsibilities

Develop, qualify, document, and release automated test solutions for RF, microwave, precision analog, mixed-signal, and digital devices for wafer-sort and packaged-device production.
Translate device specifications and customer requirements into test methods, test limits, hardware architectures, and software routines.
Characterize and validate device performance using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters and sensors, noise sources, oscilloscopes, source-measure units, precision DMMs, and related instrumentation.
Develop RF measurement methods involving calibration, reference-plane management, fixture characterization, de-embedding, signal integrity, low-noise measurements, test accuracy, and uncertainty.
Design custom test hardware, including rack-and-stack systems, switching and interconnect architectures, load boards, probe interfaces, fixtures, and circuit boards; perform schematic capture and support layout review.
Create maintainable test automation software and data workflows for instrument control, test sequencing, calibration and correction, result evaluation, and production decision-making.
Develop and integrate wafer-sort applications with probers and packaged-device applications with handlers and other factory equipment.
Troubleshoot RF, analog, digital, electrical, mechanical, and software subsystems using schematics, layout files, measurement data, and structured experiments.
Validate and correlate test applications against customer specifications, bench methods, reference systems, golden units, and other appropriate standards.
Collaborate with Product Engineering, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, suppliers, and customers to transfer new products into controlled, repeatable production.
Create design records, test plans, validation reports, operating instructions, and training materials; train technicians and operators to operate and maintain released test solutions.
Participate in peer reviews, root-cause investigations, Kaizen events, and continuous-improvement activities supporting quality, yield, cycle time, uptime, and maintainability.