Lead Systems and RF System Engineer

About the Team:

The STR Sensors Division specializes in the development of advanced sensor systems, with a particular focus on airborne and surface-based radar, space-based sensing, electronic warfare, and underwater acoustics. This position is within the Space Missions and Sensing (SMS) Sector of the Sensors Division. In this sector, we develop and deliver technology to advance space-based sensing, space control, and counter-sensing missions.

The Role:

The SMS Sector is seeking a RF System Engineer to lead small teams to design, develop, integrate and test novel sensing and counter sensing systems for radar, electronic warfare, and signal processing systems. This position offers significant opportunities for career growth within a fast-paced and rapidly expanding company.

What you will do:

• Lead and work with small, multi-disciplinary teams to design, build, and test RF hardware systems. Systems are predominantly field deployable prototypes with the objective of transitioning to low-volume product systems.
• Lead the team to quantify goals, system performance objectives, metrics, dependencies, and risks to guide your work.
• Lead the design of RF hardware systems, tasking and guiding other engineers on your team to create drawings, select parts and components, and write specifications for components such as antennas, positioners, cables, transceiver assemblies, amplifiers, filters, etc.
• Lead the integration and test of complete RF systems including antennas, feeds, waveguides, positioners, processing hardware, and the software providing system control, waveform processing, calibration, health and status functions and the user interface.
• Work with mechanical engineers, software and firmware developers, system engineers, and test engineers to troubleshoot, identify, and resolve issues
• Conduct performance trade studies and analyses of proposed hardware architectures and work with Systems Engineers and other team leads to derive, develop, and verify requirements
• Develop component and system test plans and lead testing to verify system compliance with requirements and demonstrate/document system performance
• Conduct over-the-air system demonstrations, identifying hardware readiness, test architecture, performance metrics, data management, operational procedures, and performance reports
• Work with signal processing team to develop test concepts and methods
• Conduct performance analysis through simulations and real-world testing to validate system performance
• Review system effectiveness and identify opportunities to advance and/or mature subsystems and system capabilities
• Prepare documentation, design specifications, test plans, and reports

Who you are:

• This position requires the ability to obtain a security clearance, for which U.S. citizenship is required by U.S. Government
• BS in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical discipline
• 10+ years experience working with RF components and subsystems, including T/R modules, rotary joints, antennas, positioners, filters, radiating structures, isolators, amplifiers, ADCs/DACs, and system signal processing, calibration and control software
• Experience with developing requirements and verification plans for complex systems and subsystems
• Design experience with RF system, subsystem and/or component analysis (frequency planning, link budget analysis, transceiver architectures, cascade analysis)
• RF testing and characterization experience from component to system level
• Experience leading teams for the integration and test of RF systems including front- end hardware, back-end hardware and software
• Proficiency in MATLAB and/or Python and/or other higher-level languages
• Strong mathematical, troubleshooting, written, and verbal communication skills

Even Better:

• Active Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI Clearance
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical discipline
• Experience with:
  • RF systems engineering and technologies in one or more of the following areas: sensing and electronic warfare applications including electronic attack, electronic protection, cognitive EW, radar, and advanced ESM techniques
  • EM Field Solvers (ANSYS HFSS, Sonnet)
  • Interacting with decision-makers and customers to translate mission needs into an end-to-end analytical solution
  • RF Integrated Circuits
  • RF Transceiver building blocks (power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, oscillators, mixers, filters)
  • High-power RF design and testing
  • Automated or semi-automated digital and RF test set development and implementation

• Knowledge of:
  • Mechanical design
  • Software development, integration, and familiarity with C/C++ and Python
  • Designing and debugging for EMI/EMC requirements
  • FPGA hardware inference designs

• Background in designing for manufacturability, producibility, and cost constraints
• Ability to apply novel, innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to challenging engineering problems
• Ability to create and present briefings to customers and senior management to provide both high-level and deep technical solution explanations

Join us and be part of a team that's making an impact at the forefront of technology and innovation.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $160,000 - $220,000

The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.

STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, and Carlsbad, CA. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us.

STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer.

STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can't do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at for more info.

STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at and provide your contact info.

Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws.