Senior RF Front-End Design Engineer

Zipline•South San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Zipline is seeking a Senior RF Front-End Design Engineer to lead the architecture, design, integration, and validation of highly integrated multi-radio front-end systems across our autonomous aircraft and ground infrastructure. You will own RF front-end architecture from early system definition through schematic design, hardware integration, validation, manufacturing, certification, and field deployment. You will design wireless platforms supporting technologies including 4G LTE, 5G NR, GNSS, Wi-Fi, ADS-B, UAT, Bluetooth, ISM radios, emerging Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, and future air-to-ground communication systems, all operating simultaneously within extremely space- and power-constrained platforms. This role requires deep expertise in RF front-end architecture, multi-radio integration, and chip-down wireless solutions, with a strong understanding of RF coexistence, interference management, and receiver desense mitigation as critical elements of delivering robust wireless systems. You will collaborate closely with antenna, electrical, embedded software, systems, mechanical, flight test, manufacturing, reliability, certification, and cloud engineering teams to build the next generation of Zipline's wireless platforms.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.
Typically 7 or more years of professional experience designing RF front-end hardware or wireless communication systems for production products.
Strong understanding of RF system architecture, cascaded RF performance, receiver sensitivity, noise figure, linearity, blocking, dynamic range, and front-end optimization.
Demonstrated experience designing RF front ends for LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, GNSS, Bluetooth, ISM, or other wireless communication systems.
Experience developing multi-radio platforms with complex integration and wireless system requirements.
Hands-on experience designing RF signal chains using LNAs, PAs, filters, duplexers, diplexers, multiplexers, RF switches, front-end modules, and impedance matching networks.
Strong understanding of RF coexistence, receiver desense mechanisms, interference coupling, intermodulation products, harmonic generation, and practical mitigation techniques within complex multi-radio systems.
Experience taking RF hardware from concept through integration, verification, certification, and production.
Familiarity with RF PCB layout, transmission lines, grounding, shielding, power integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility.
Hands-on experience with vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, network emulators, and RF measurement equipment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical tradeoffs across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Ability to operate independently while driving technically complex wireless programs from concept through production.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
Experience with ADS-B, UAT, aviation communications, or autonomous aircraft communication systems.
Experience developing air-to-ground communication systems or emerging V2V communication technologies.
Experience with cellular carrier certification, PTCRB, GCF, and international cellular deployments.
Experience evaluating and integrating chip-down wireless SoCs and highly integrated RF front-end modules.
Familiarity with RF simulation tools such as Keysight ADS, Cadence AWR, Ansys HFSS, CST Studio Suite, or equivalent platforms.
Experience with MIMO systems, antenna diversity, carrier aggregation, and advanced LTE/5G RF architectures.
Knowledge of EMI/EMC design practices, coexistence testing, passive intermodulation, and regulatory compliance.
Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or equivalent tools for RF analysis, automation, and data processing.
Experience working directly with RF semiconductor vendors, cellular module suppliers, contract manufacturers, certification laboratories, and wireless carriers.

Responsibilities

Own RF front-end architecture, design, integration, validation, and production for Zipline aircraft, ground support infrastructure, and future autonomous logistics platforms.
Develop highly integrated multi-radio architectures supporting LTE, 5G, GNSS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ADS-B, UAT, ISM radios, telemetry, command-and-control, and emerging V2V communication technologies.
Define next-generation air-to-ground and vehicle-to-vehicle wireless architectures that enable scalable autonomous fleet operations.
Evaluate and integrate chip-down wireless solutions, RF front-end modules, cellular modems, GNSS receivers, Wi-Fi SoCs, and future integrated radio platforms.
Translate system-level communication, navigation, regulatory, and operational requirements into RF front-end specifications and verification plans.
Design RF signal chains including power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, filters, duplexers, diplexers, multiplexers, RF switches, matching networks, and antenna interfaces.
Design RF front-end architectures that enable reliable operation of multiple simultaneous wireless systems across airborne and ground platforms.
Incorporate RF coexistence, interference management, isolation, and receiver desense mitigation into overall wireless architecture and front-end design.
Analyze system-level RF interactions including blocking, intermodulation, harmonic interference, broadband noise coupling, passive intermodulation, and electromagnetic compatibility to ensure robust wireless performance.
Develop antenna-sharing, diversity, MIMO, filtering, isolation, shielding, grounding, and frequency-planning strategies that maximize overall system performance.
Perform RF system analysis including link budgets, cascade analysis, noise figure, linearity, dynamic range, sensitivity, and interference budgeting.
Collaborate with antenna engineers to optimize antenna placement, installed performance, isolation, and end-to-end wireless system performance.
Support schematic capture, PCB layout reviews, RF routing, stack-up definition, grounding, shielding, and design-for-manufacturing activities.
Develop laboratory validation methods using vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network emulators, OTA chambers, and conducted RF measurements.
Plan and execute RF validation, coexistence testing, support desense characterization, conducted and over-the-air testing, environmental qualification, and production verification.
Investigate RF performance issues using simulation, laboratory measurements, flight-test data, production data, and structured root-cause analysis.
Support regulatory and carrier certification activities including FCC, CE, ISED, PTCRB, GCF, carrier acceptance, and international wireless certifications.
Work closely with suppliers and manufacturing partners to establish RF specifications, production test methods, calibration procedures, and quality controls.
Mentor engineers and help establish RF architecture standards, design methodologies, validation processes, and long-term wireless technology roadmaps.