Staff Antenna/ RF Systems Engineer

Fi Smart Dog Collar • Boston, NY

53d • Onsite

About The Position

Fi is a passionate team from Square, Google, TikTok, Peloton, Uber, and more, working to transform the human-pet relationship by developing cutting-edge technology. Their mission is to revolutionize pet parenting, improving the lives of millions of pets in the U.S. through real-time location tracking, activity, sleep, and behavior monitoring. Fi aims to bridge the communication gap between pets and humans, envisioning a future where pet owners understand their pets' feelings and health in real-time. They seek individuals who thrive in innovative, collaborative environments and are dedicated to helping pets live longer, better lives. Fi is looking for an Antenna Engineer to own end-to-end antenna design for their connected products, ensuring real-world performance. This role involves working from early system architecture through mass production, collaborating with electrical, mechanical, and product teams to address constraints related to size, power, reliability, and manufacturability. The work encompasses RF design, antenna integration, tuning, and validation, establishing the technical foundation for Fi’s next generation of high-volume consumer hardware.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience designing electrically small antennas for consumer electronics or similar products.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Proven ability to translate product-level connectivity requirements into RF system and antenna requirements, including managing external consultants and fabrication vendors as needed.
• Deep hands-on experience with custom antenna design in the ~600 MHz to 3 GHz range, including multiband designs, polarization control, antenna isolation in close proximity, and performance optimization near human or animal tissue.
• Strong understanding of antenna integration, including use of enclosures and mechanical structures as part of the antenna system.
• Experience across common antenna fabrication methods and materials, including LDS, FPC, PCB, stamped metal, and ceramic chip antennas, with an understanding of material tradeoffs.
• Comfort building scrappy prototypes using rapid methods such as hand-formed copper, milling, or 3D printing.
• Proficiency with 3D electromagnetic simulation tools for antenna design.
• Strong RF lab skills, including conducted and radiated measurements, antenna tuning, and managing cable effects when testing electrically small antennas.
• Experience operating semi-anechoic chamber testing and supporting regulatory and compliance testing.
• Ability to design simple schematics and PCBs to support antenna prototyping and test.
• Familiarity with firmware and software requirements for RF validation, including sensitivity metrics like BER and PER, and comfort using scripts (e.g., Python) for test automation or analysis.
• Proven track record leading antenna designs from prototype through mass production.
• Willingness to travel to China as needed.

Nice To Haves

• A passion for dogs is a plus

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end antenna design for Fi products, from proof-of-concept through mass production.
• Lead antenna architecture and contribute to overall system architecture, including RF component selection, schematic capture, and RF PCB layout.
• Design, optimize, tune, and validate antennas to meet aggressive constraints around size, performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Work closely with mechanical, industrial design, firmware, leadership, and overseas engineering teams to ensure seamless antenna integration into the product.
• Push antenna performance using a mix of best practices, state-of-the-art approaches, and novel designs where needed — because every dB matters.
• Partner directly with overseas CM/JDM teams on antenna implementation, performance testing, compliance, and production ramp.

Benefits

• Enjoy flexible PTO to take the breaks you need.
• We’ve got your back (and teeth and eyes) with full medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Free access to One Medical, Kindbody, and Talkspace to keep you feeling your best.
• Bring your pup to work — they’re part of the team, too.
• Make tails wag with a $500 annual donation to a dog charity of your choice through our BarkBack Program.
• Your furry best friend(s) get all the benefits of a Fi collar, on us!
• Share the Fi magic with loved ones through our gifting program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior