Lead RF Test Engineer

Reference: 85347-369929Readiness Delivered. Kratos builds high-performance hardware used in ground systems and space communications. Our products help communicate with satellites, spacecraft, and other mission-critical platforms. We’re hiring a Lead RF Test Engineer to serve as the RF technical lead within Production Engineering. This person will support production test for RF, modem, and wideband digitizer products including OpenSpace Edge 6500R, SpectralNet Wideband, SpectralNet Narrowband, and project-specific hardware.This is primarily a technical coaching and strategy role for RF production test, with hands-on troubleshooting when needed for high-risk or high-impact issues. The primary mission is to raise the RF technical capability of Production Engineering, not become the owner of every RF test issue. You’ll help set troubleshooting direction, recommend changes to RF test methods, equipment, fixtures, procedures, automation, and test strategy, and work with the team to turn those changes into repeatable production practice.This role reports to the Senior Production Engineering Manager and works with a Production Engineering team of roughly 10 people, along with technicians, design engineers, quality engineers, program teams, and production leadership.This role is also intended to build technical leadership depth within Production Engineering. For the right person, it may grow into broader production engineering ownership, cross-functional execution, team development, and people leadership over time.The right person knows RF test equipment, understands RF performance metrics, can script or automate test equipment, and has the maturity to lead others through messy production problems when schedule pressure is real.Success in this role means production RF issues are solved faster, first-pass yield improves, troubleshooting time decreases, and repeat failures are driven to root cause instead of worked around. Over time, junior engineers and technicians should have stronger RF test guidance, new products enter production with robust test strategy, and the production team become more capable, more confident, and less dependent on ad hoc troubleshooting.What You’ll DoServe as the RF technical lead for Production Engineering, providing technical direction and guidance to junior engineers, technicians, and cross-functional teams.Lead the troubleshooting approach for RF production issues, coaching engineers and technicians through diagnosis, containment, root cause, and corrective action.Improve first-pass yield, reduce repeat failures, and decrease troubleshooting time by building stronger RF troubleshooting discipline and root-cause follow-through across the team.Support production test for RF, modem, and wideband digitizer hardware using equipment such as spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, power meters, and oscilloscopes.Develop, maintain, and improve automated and legacy test systems using scripting or tools such as Python, LabVIEW, or TestStand.Partner with Design Engineering on test strategy, test coverage, NPI readiness, and design-for-test improvements so production test needs are addressed earlier in the product lifecycle.Recommend, review, and improve RF test methods, equipment, fixtures, procedures, automation, and documentation for clarity, repeatability, technical accuracy, and long-term test capability.Escalate and drive recurring technical issues toward root cause when test strategy, product design, documentation, fixtures, or equipment are creating production failures.Escalate production RF risks with clear data, recommended actions, and ownership so schedule, quality, and program tradeoffs can be resolved by the right decision makers.Help establish operating discipline around production RF issues, including clear ownership, escalation, root cause follow-through, and communication across Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management.BenefitsMedical, Dental & Vision Insurance CoverageLife/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance401(k) Savings PlanEmployee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)Paid Time-Off (PTO)HolidaysEducation Reimbursement