RF Design Engineer

Description Are you passionate about providing real, immediate impact to the country’s toughest national security problems? Description Are you passionate about providing real, immediate impact to the country’s toughest national security problems? Do you love designing, building, and testing prototype radio frequency (RF) waveforms and systems? Do you enjoy combining state-of-the-art antennas with cutting‑edge RF technology and digital signal processing to solve challenging communications problems? If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL. We are seeking an RF Design Engineer to help us research, design, and deliver groundbreaking RF capabilities to our sponsors. You would be joining our team, which provides creative solutions and systems for Special Operations missions in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC). As a member of our team, you will be responsible for designing, testing, demonstrating, and delivering RF antennas and sensors as well as associated RF circuits, for systems that function throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Specific applications span several mission and research areas in the DoD and IC. As an RF Design Engineer, you will… Stay up-to-date on the latest antenna, RF electronics, and signal processing innovations. Participate in and lead component- and system-level hardware design teams from 3 to 30 engineers. Develop hardware specifications and system requirements from high-level operational need statements. Design and develop innovative hardware solutions such as antennas, electromagnetic sensors, RF circuits, and RF systems. Develop and refine RF simulations to study RF propagation and performance. Define and execute hardware tests to assess component and system performance. Conduct HW/SW trade‑off analyses, develop system block diagrams, perform Analysis-of-Alternatives studies, and guide vendor selection for critical sub‑systems. Document and present work to sponsors, technical teams, and APL management. Continually grow your skills in engineering, communication, and leadership. Qualifications You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you… A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or another field relevant to the duties as described above. 5+ years of experience developing RF or electromagnetic hardware. Experience with RF lab test equipment such as spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, etc. Experience with RF concepts such as network parameters, impedance, and distributed RF circuits. Familiarity with full-wave electromagnetic and RF circuit solvers. Experience developing digital signal processing solutions. Strong oral and written communication skills. Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work independently or as part of a multi-discipline team. The ability to work on‑site at APL's main campus as well as at commercial and government test sites. Are able to obtain a TS/SCI security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship. You’ll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you… Master's or Doctorate degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field with a focus in RF or electromagnetic sensors or systems. 8+ years of experience with antenna design and testing Strong understanding of network parameters and how to use them to solve wide‑ranging RF and electromagnetic problems. Experience with electromagnetic concepts and derivations for radiating elements and fields. Experience with mathematical methods of full-wave electromagnetic solvers. Lead teams of 3+ engineers with all levels of seniority. Deep understanding of statistical digital signal processing and signal estimation theory. Hold a TS/SCI security clearance. About Us Why Work at APL? The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world‑class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates. At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore‑Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign‑on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term disability, long‑term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Minimum Rate $100,000 Annually Maximum Rate $245,000 Annually #J-18808-Ljbffr