Senior Principal Radar RF Systems Engineer

KYOCERA External•San Diego, CA

23h•$214,000 - $340,000•Onsite

About The Position

Join Kyocera International, Inc. We’re hiring a Senior Principal Radar RF Systems Engineer at our San Diego facility! Salary Range: $214,000 - 340,000 annually (Final offer based on experience, education, skills, and market factors) Why Kyocera? With nearly 80,000 employees worldwide, Kyocera is a global leader in advanced ceramic technologies used in aerospace, automotive, medical, and semiconductor industries. Our materials power everything from smartphones to space shuttles — and we’re just getting started. What Makes Us Stand Out? We don’t just offer jobs — we offer careers with purpose, stability, and growth. Here’s what you can expect: The Senior Principal Radar Systems Engineer , will lead the architecture, design, RFIC specification derivation and validation of advanced phasedâarray radar systems enabled by highly integrated RFICâbased PAAM solutions. Will play a central technical leadership role in developing specifications for nextâgeneration FMCW and phaseâcoded pulsed radar systems for demanding sensing applications, working closely with customers and internal crossâfunctional teams. Will collaborate with RFIC designers, antenna and array engineers, modem and signalâprocessing architects, firmware/software teams, and system validation teams to translate missionâlevel sensing requirements into robust, manufacturable radar solutions. This role requires deep expertise in radar theory, RF impairments, waveform design, array calibration, and endâtoâend system performance tradeâoffs , as well as the ability to operate at both architectural and implementation levels.

Requirements

PhD or MS in Electrical Engineering, or a related field with a strong focus on systems and signal processing .
10+ years of industry experience in advanced radar system design, architecture, or development.
Demonstrated experience owning systemâlevel performance and architecture , not just component design.
Deep understanding of: FMCW and phaseâcoded pulsed radar systems Beamforming and phasedâarray antennas Radar detection theory, estimation, and tracking RF system impairments and their impact on sensing performance
Proven experience with endâtoâend radar simulation and modeling .
Strong handsâon experience with MATLAB/Simulink ; proficiency in Python and/or C/C++.

Nice To Haves

Experience with highâdynamics or highâstress operational environments (e.g., high acceleration, vibration, thermal extremes).
Familiarity with distributed, multistatic, or networked sensing systems .
Understanding of array calibration, phase alignment, and longâterm coherency maintenance .
Exposure to radar programs, customers, or regulatory environments .
Familiarity with 5G NR positioning, preâ6G ISAC, or JCAS concepts .
Demonstrated ability to lead technically , influence architecture decisions, and mentor engineers.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

Radar System Architecture & Design Lead the analysis of endâtoâend radar system architecture , including waveforms, RFIC/PAAM partitioning, beamforming strategy, synchronization, and signalâprocessing flow.
Design and analyze monostatic and multistatic radar architectures , including distributed and networked sensing configurations.
Perform detailed system trade studies across FMCW, phaseâcoded pulsed (e.g., BPSK), OFDMâbased, and hybrid waveforms , optimizing for detection, resolution, false alarm rate, and robustness in cluttered environments.
Define systemâlevel KPIs (range, velocity, angular resolution, sensitivity, dynamic range, detection probability) and ensure traceability to RFIC and algorithm requirements.
Link Budget, Performance & Impairment Analysis Develop comprehensive radar link budgets using MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C/C++, and spreadsheetâbased analysis.
Model and analyze the impact of RFIC nonâidealities , including: Synthesizer phase noise and spurs Chirp linearity and timing jitter Tx/Rx nonlinearity and compression ADC/DAC quantization, jitter, and bandwidth limits I/Q imbalance, DC offsets, isolation, and leakage
Evaluate system performance under clutter, multipath, interference, mutual coupling, and hostile RF environments , and propose mitigation strategies.
RFIC, PAAM & Hardware Specification Derive detailed RFIC, synthesizer, PAAM, ADC/DAC, and digital processing specifications from systemâlevel requirements.
Work closely with IC design teams to ensure feasibility, margin, and scalability across process, voltage, temperature, and operating conditions.
Guide architectural decisions related to calibration loops, phase coherency, TDD reciprocity, array synchronization, and thermal effects .
Signal Processing & Algorithms Define and guide implementation of radar signalâprocessing chains , including: Range/Doppler/angle processing Coherent integration and pulse compression Detection and CFAR techniques Target classification and tracking
Collaborate with algorithm and software teams to balance performance, latency, power, and hardware constraints .
Test, Validation & Field Deployment Define systemâlevel verification and validation plans , including lab, chamber, and field testing.
Analyze measurement data, correlate with models, and drive rootâcause analysis for performance gaps.
Support customer demonstrations, trials, and technical reviews.
Technical Leadership & Customer Engagement Serve as a technical authority for radar systems within the organization.
Interface directly with customers to understand requirements, explain system tradeâoffs, and support solution definition.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices, design guidelines, and internal technical documentation.
Track relevant developments in radar, sensing, and integrated sensingâcommunications , and influence internal technology roadmaps.