Senior Electrical Engineer – Radio Frequency (rf) Systems

Saronic · Defense · Austin, TX · Engineering

Senior Electrical Engineer specializing in RF systems for autonomous maritime platforms, focusing on research, evaluation, and integration of RF communications and sensing technologies.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead R&D efforts in RF communications, radar, and electronic sensing technologies for autonomous surface vessels.
  2. Evaluate and benchmark RF hardware and subsystems, including radios, antennas, and signal processing modules across multiple frequency bands (VHF/UHF, L/S/C/X bands).
  3. Conduct trade studies and comparative analyses of commercial and military-grade RF solutions to inform system selection and integration strategies.
  4. Design, prototype, and test RF systems and supporting electrical architectures, including cabling, shielding, and power interfaces.
  5. Model and analyze RF propagation and link performance in maritime and littoral environments.

Skills

Required

  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or related discipline.
  • 7+ years of professional experience in RF system design, testing, and integration -preferably in maritime, automotive, aerospace, or defense applications.
  • Deep understanding of RF theory, antenna design, and signal propagation, including real-world marine effects (multipath, reflection, attenuation).
  • Hands-on experience with RF instrumentation (spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, power meters, etc.).
  • Proven ability to conduct trade studies and technology benchmarking for RF components and systems.
  • Familiarity with communications protocols such as Ethernet, CAN, and serial interfaces, and with wireless standards (LTE, SATCOM, mesh networking).
  • Strong documentation and communication skills; able to translate test results into actionable design insights.
  • Ability to work effectively in both lab and field test environments (dockside, at-sea, and range conditions).

Nice to have

  • mentor junior engineers
  • contribute to Saronic’s RF technology roadmap and internal knowledge base

What the JD emphasized

  • research-focused position
  • extensive experience in RF system design, testing, and benchmarking
  • strong foundation in wireless communications, spectrum management, and signal propagation in marine environments
  • Deep understanding of RF theory, antenna design, and signal propagation, including real-world marine effects (multipath, reflection, attenuation).
  • Hands-on experience with RF instrumentation (spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, power meters, etc.).
  • Proven ability to conduct trade studies and technology benchmarking for RF components and systems.