Senior Principal Engineer, RF (R4491)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

Are you a passionate, innovative, experienced Electrical Engineer looking to help develop state-of-the-art AI hardware products? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission driven and values focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!

As a Senior Staff RF Engineer, you will provide technical leadership for the VBAT aircraft's RF systems. In this role, you will collaborate closely with a variety of different engineering disciplines, including mechanical, systems, manufacturing, and software engineering. You will be responsible for all RF related design, integration, testing, and compliance. The role highlights are as follows

What you'll do:

• Provide technical leadership to the RF team focusing on the VBAT product line.
• Quantify and optimize RF link performance, resolve defense/interference problems.
• Define system level and unit level design requirements and features for all RF systems.
• Improve design, test, and compliance processes for the engineering org. as it related to RF.
• Define test procedures, requirements, and train operators/technicians to execute accordingly.
• Help grow the team, provide hiring input, and mentor teammates.
• Establish and enforce team processes around design, test, review, cross-functional support, and regulatory compliance.
• Regularly communicate with the cross-functional team regarding RF status, risks, needs, plans, etc.
• Provide technical design input/review to your team and other engineering teams.
• Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within hardware development projects, demonstrating initiative to propose and implement innovative solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and overall project success and V-Bat reliability
• Other duties as assigned.

Required qualifications:

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience with RF systems
• Experience working on cross-functional teams involving EE, ME, SW, manufacturing, production, etc.
• Experience with technical mentorship/guidance of other engineers.
• Experience leading design work on the unit level and system level.
• Experience with quantifying and improving RF sensitivity performance.
• Demonstrated track record of assuming ownership over development processes and features and delivering outstanding outcomes.
• Proven track record of successfully shipping products, showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to meet project deadlines and exceed client expectations in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of antenna design and aircraft level radiation performance analysis and simulation, utilizing tools such as CST & ANSYS.
• Experience in RF and Antenna design, antenna coupling analysis for airborne V/UHF, L-band, S-band, GNSS, and MIL-SAT systems.
• Demonstrated RF analysis experiences in frequency planning, RF Co-site, Antenna Coupling, and the production of analysis report.
• Experience with EMI/EMC compliance techniques, with a particular emphasis on optimizing size, weight and power.
• Knowledge of MIL-STD 461 and MIL-STD 464 compliance requirements and test setups.
• RF system, subsystem and printed circuit assembly EMI/EMC simulation, test and mitigation.
• Experience working on cutting-edge autonomous robotic systems
• Proven background in thriving within fast-paced environments, particularly within startup or R&D settings.
• Demonstrated adaptability, agility, and the ability to innovate under pressure to meet dynamic project demands and drive successful outcomes.

$242,000 - $320,000 a year

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.