Principal RF Engineer

Principal RF Engineer

FIRST RF Corporation - Boulder, CO 80301

FIRST RF is seeking an experienced Principal RF Engineer to provide technical leadership across a diverse portfolio of advanced RF and microwave systems. In this role, you will serve as a subject matter expert, lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, and partner directly with customers to develop innovative solutions from concept through production.

You will contribute across FIRST RF's four technology divisions, developing next-generation phased-array systems, millimeter-wave antennas, advanced signal detection technologies, radar systems, and other cutting-edge RF solutions for government and commercial customers. This position requires exceptional technical depth, systems thinking, and the ability to mentor engineers.

• Serve as the technical lead for complex RF and microwave system development efforts
• Lead the design, analysis, integration, and verification of advanced RF hardware and systems
• Develop innovative solutions for challenging customer problems and guide projects from proposal through product delivery
• Interface directly with customers, presenting technical approaches, design reviews, and program status
• Provide technical leadership for multiple projects while ensuring successful execution of cost, schedule, and performance objectives
• Lead technical discussions with government, commercial, and subcontractor partners
• Mentor and develop engineers across all experience levels through design reviews, and technical guidance
• Establish engineering best practices, design methodologies, and technical standards
• Conduct design reviews and provide independent technical assessments to reduce program risk
• Support business development activities by contributing to white papers, technical proposals, customer briefings, and technology roadmaps
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic investments to expand FIRST RF's technical capabilities
• Foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams including RF, antenna, digital, embedded software, and mechanical engineering

• U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field
• Experience analyzing, and integrating RF devices and networks including amplifiers, filters, attenuators, phase shifters, mixers, frequency converters, and related components
• Experience with antenna design, characterization, testing, and modeling
• Experience using electromagnetic simulation tools including HFSS, FEKO, CST Studio Suite, Microwave Office, or similar software
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through successful project execution
• Proficiency with technical programming languages such as MATLAB or Python for analysis, simulation, and automation
• Extensive experience using RF laboratory equipment including vector network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with engineers, executives, and customers.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across an organization
• A passion for solving challenging technical problems with creativity, curiosity, and attention to detail
• Comfortable working in laboratory and prototype development environments
• Willingness to rapidly iterate, learn from failures, and continuously improve designs

• Master's or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in RF or Electromagnetics
• 10+ years of professional experience in RF and microwave engineering with a demonstrated record of technical leadership
• Extensive experience using RF laboratory equipment including signal generators, oscilloscopes, and power meters
• Experience with printed circuit board design, layout review, fabrication, assembly, and test
• Experience with phased-array antennas and beamforming
• Experience designing RF front ends for radar, electronic warfare, communications, or software-defined radio (SDR) systems
• Experience with Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Experience supporting proposal development, technology roadmaps, and customer capture activities

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week. Typical office hours include Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm; however, these hours may vary based on workload and the manager's discretion.

About 10% travel is expected for this position.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.…