Radio Frequency PCB Design Engineer

About Orion Edge

We are an agile, early-stage startup in a rapid growth phase, developing next-generation electronic warfare (EW) and digital disruption equipment. Our mission is to deliver cutting-edge capabilities to the modern warfighter on Edge is currently delivering systems to the US Army and USSOCOM, and we are scaling quickly to support the broader Department of Defense (DoD). If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where your work directly impacts national security and you have the opportunity to scale your career with a growing company, you belong here.

As an RF PCB Design Engineer at Orion Edge, you will own the physical realization of our radio frequency hardware. Every emitter, receiver, and signal chain we field begins as a schematic and a set of simulated geometries, and you are the engineer who turns those into manufacturable, high-performance boards that survive contact with the real world.

In this role, you will lead complex layer stack-ups, route controlled-impedance transmission lines, and enforce the layout discipline that separates a design that works in simulation from a design that works in the field. You will partner directly with our RF Design & Simulations Engineers to preserve modeled performance through fabrication, and with our board houses to get exotic substrates built correctly the first time.

If you want your boards flying, driving, and swimming on real missions within months rather than years, you are the ideal fit for this team.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical field. Equivalent demonstrated experience with a strong portfolio of released RF/microwave layouts will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Physical Layout Ownership: Lead the physical layout of RF, microwave, and mixed-signal printed circuit boards using Altium Designer, from floor-planning through manufacturing release.

Stack-Up & Impedance Control: Manage complex multi-layer stack-ups and route controlled-impedance traces - microstrip, stripline, and grounded coplanar waveguide - to hold strict signal integrity across targeted frequency bands.

RF Layout Discipline: Implement RF layout best practices including via stitching and via fencing, shielding and compartmentalization, ground pour management, and isolation techniques that minimize crosstalk, EMI, and parasitic capacitance and inductance.

Design Intent Translation: Work closely with RF Design Engineers to translate schematic requirements and simulated geometries into highly accurate physical layouts, preserving modeled performance from EM tool to fabricated board.

Manufacturing Release: Prepare complete manufacturing packages - Gerbers, ODB++, drill files, fabrication and assembly drawings, and stack-up documentation - and collaborate with board houses and assembly partners on specialized RF substrates and process tolerances.

Mixed-Signal Integration: Partition and route boards that combine RF front ends with high-speed digital, SDR/FPGA interfaces, and sensitive analog and power sections without compromising any of them.

Bring-Up Support: Support lab bring-up and characterization alongside design and test engineers, using measured results to close the loop on layout decisions and improve the next spin.

Professional

Experience:

Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience performing RF/microwave or high-speed digital PCB layout in a product development environment.

Altium Proficiency: Demonstrated experience using Altium Designer specifically for RF/microwave or high-speed digital PCB layout, including constraint-driven routing, rules management, and library discipline.

Transmission Line Implementation: Proven ability to design and route controlled-impedance structures - microstrip, stripline, grounded coplanar waveguide - and to execute clean launches, transitions, and connector interfaces.

RF Materials Knowledge: Strong understanding of RF laminates and substrates, dielectric constants, loss tangents, copper roughness, and how real fabrication tolerances impact RF performance.

RF Fundamentals: Familiarity with interpreting RF schematics and a working understanding of core RF concepts, including S-parameters, wavelength scaling, impedance matching, and return path behavior.

Isolation & EMI Practice: Demonstrated command of grounding strategy, shielding, compartmentalization, and layout-driven mitigation of coupling, leakage, and spurious paths.

Manufacturing Output: Hands-on experience generating and releasing complete fabrication and assembly data packages, and working directly with board houses on DFM and DFA feedback.

Standards Familiarity: Working familiarity with IPC standards applicable to design and fabrication (e.g., IPC-2221, IPC-2141, IPC-6012 Class 2/3).

U.S. Citizenship & Security Clearance: Must be a U.S. citizen and must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.…