Senior RF Engineer

RF Engineer For Communications And Networking

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies. We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitious and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems.

AI-driven, autonomous systems cannot replace human decision making. To keep the human in the loop, communication to remote unmanned vehicles is crucial. As an RF Engineer for Communications and Networking, you will work in one of the most contested domains of the modern battlefield: the electromagnetic spectrum.

You will design, develop, and deploy advanced datalink systems for UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS communications, including point-to-point and mesh network architectures. Your work will ensure robust, encrypted communications links for UAS operating in non-cooperative and contested environments, directly supporting mission-critical operations for US customers.

You will own radio communication end-to-end as part of new product design and iterations on existing systems. You make pragmatic decisions when to integrate available solutions and when to develop new capabilities that shape the contested environment of the frontline RF space. Working closely with systems engineers, avionics teams, and customer-facing program managers, you will be the key to ensuring the right decision can be made at the right time.

Design and develop UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS datalink architectures, including point-to-point and mesh network topologies for resilient communications

Develop robust, encrypted communication links for UAS operating in non-cooperative, contested, and denied environments

Integrate tactical C2 networks with UAS platforms, including systems such as IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System), Tactical Scalable Mesh (TSM), and other military communication standards

Stay on top of the market and ever-changing battlefield situations to identify existing, promising, or missing RF solutions

Test, validate, and integrate radio systems into newly developed and existing products, working against customer and internal requirements to build reliable radio solutions

Obtain US FCC spectrum approvals and manage frequency coordination for testing and operational use in US regulatory environments

Collaborate with governmental bodies to get permissions for licensed bands and power outputs to test and demonstrate modern radio systems in regulated RF domains

Design and implement Software Defined Radio (SDR) solutions, working with RF frontends, modem implementations, and application interfaces

Conduct RF link budget analysis and performance modeling to ensure datalink reliability across operational ranges and environments

Work with external partners to access specialized equipment and build up internal lab capabilities for commonly executed tests

Shape discussions inside the company as a go-to expert for radio communications and serve as a technical authority for US customer engagements

Hold a degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related field

Have several years of experience designing and deploying military datalinks, mesh networks, or tactical communications systems

Possess deep knowledge of military and civil communication technologies, including Software Defined Radios, data links, air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, mesh networking protocols (e.g., MANET), network management, and secure communications

Have experience integrating UAS with tactical C2 networks and understand military communication architectures and interoperability standards

Demonstrate strong understanding of how radio technology works and where its limitations lie

Have experience with US FCC spectrum management, frequency allocation processes, and compliance with US regulatory requirements

Possess knowledge of RF link design, including antenna design, propagation modeling, and link budget analysis

Understand encryption and cybersecurity requirements for military communications, including AES-256 and other COMSEC standards

Have strong communication skills and enjoy working with internal stakeholders and external companies, including US government agencies and defense contractors

Are pragmatic and validate calculated expectations in the real world to be satisfied

Note:

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points.

Designed, built, and evaluated custom antennas for airborne platforms

Built, worked on, or implemented a Software Defined Radio solution

Experience with specific tactical datalinks such as Link 16, JREAP, CDL (Common Data Link), or Cursor-on-Target (CoT)

Familiarity with Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET) and dynamic mesh routing protocols

Knowledge of Electronic Warfare (EW) techniques, anti-jam waveforms, and LPI/LPD (Low Probability of Intercept/Detection)…