Rf Microwave Hardware

Rf Microwave Hardware Engineer Jobs

3 jobs found

Today

RF Hardware Engineer

Actalent Laurel, MD

Laurel, MD

Today

$100k - $160k/yr Contract Electrical Engineering Aerospace Electronics Design

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Job Description

Contract to Hire RF Hardware Engineer opportunity based onsite in Laurel, MD. This role focuses on designing and validating advanced RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital hardware for spacecraft missions, RF payloads, and RF instruments across the full development lifecycle, from concept through launch and integration. Work is supported by a dedicated engineering team and regular use of advanced simulation and design toolchains.

What you’ll do

Design RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital circuits and components to meet spaceflight high-reliability expectations.
Run detailed circuit and system simulations to predict and optimize performance across RF, microwave, and high-frequency domains.
Create RF and high-frequency layouts for both lumped and distributed element circuits, including high-density digital and RF PCB content.
Perform circuit-level analysis to assess performance, troubleshoot issues, and recommend design improvements.
Develop and maintain schematic drawings, test plans, test procedures, and comprehensive test reports.
Collaborate with mission, spacecraft, and subsystem engineers and project management from concept through launch.
Support technical concept design and contribute to requirements definition for RF payloads and instruments.
Participate in technical reviews such as design reviews and readiness assessments, providing expert RF and high-frequency input.
Assist with project budgets and schedules tied to RF and hardware activity.
Lead technical teams through development including trade studies, prototype design and testing, flight hardware development, integration, and verification.
Guide and mentor team members on RF, microwave, high-speed analog, and digital best practices.
Support spacecraft integration and test activities, including periods of off-hours testing when required.
Provide technical insight and status updates to sponsors and stakeholders when supporting project/program management.
Apply communications systems theory and RF theory to design and analysis for payloads, instruments, and related hardware.
Use microwave, electromagnetic, and high-speed digital tools and simulators to model, analyze, and validate designs.
Conduct RF characterization and measurements up to Ka-band and beyond, including evaluation of antennas and RF payloads/instruments.
Contribute to radar systems, military satellite communications systems, sensors, and software-defined radio architectures.
Document approaches, analyses, and test results for internal and external publications and technical reports.

Required qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent field).
7+ years of recent, hands-on experience in RF, microwave, or high-frequency analog or digital hardware design.
Spaceflight high-reliability hardware experience from conceptual design through delivery.
Detailed knowledge of discrete transistor-based circuit design, including test and analysis techniques.
Strong foundation in RF, microwave, high-frequency analog, and digital circuit design principles.
Experience with RF or high-frequency analog and digital CAD tools for circuit design and analysis.
Proficiency in high-speed, RF, and high-density digital circuit layout and packaging.
Ability to conduct circuit-level analysis to determine and optimize performance.
Familiarity with communications systems theory and RF theory.
Experience using tools and simulators including ADS, HFSS, Genesys, FEKO, HyperLynx, and Ansys SIWave.
Proficiency with layout and schematic capture tools such as Mentor and Altium.
Experience with software-defined radios, antennas, and RF characterization/measurements to Ka-band or beyond.
Experience with radar systems design, military satellite communications systems, and sensors.
Ability and willingness to work flexible hours for spacecraft-level testing (short periods).
Ability and willingness to travel infrequently to customer or sponsor locations and integration/test sites.
Ability to obtain a Top Secret security clearance, if required.

Benefits

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan with Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Tools you’ll use

ADS, HFSS, Genesys, FEKO, HyperLynx, Ansys SIWave, Mentor, Altium

Pay range: $100,000 - $160,000 per year (contract to hire). The offered compensation depends on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other job-related factors. Anticipated closing date: Sep 28, 2026.

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Today

RF Hardware Engineer

Actalent Laurel, MD

Laurel, MD

Today

$100k - $160k/yr Contract Electrical Engineering Aerospace Electronics Design

Apply Now

Job Description

The RF Hardware Engineer will design, analyze, and develop advanced RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital hardware for spacecraft missions and RF payloads and instruments. The role supports work across the lifecycle, from early concepting through launch, with onsite responsibilities based in Laurel, MD.

Role Focus

Design and develop RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital circuits and components for spaceflight applications.
Model, simulate, and validate hardware performance across RF, microwave, and high-frequency domains.
Support full development activities including conceptualization, trade studies, prototyping, flight hardware development, integration, and verification.

Responsibilities

Develop and refine RF, microwave, and high-frequency circuit designs with a reliability focus for spaceflight hardware.
Run detailed circuit and system simulations to predict and optimize performance across relevant high-frequency domains.
Create layouts for RF, microwave, and high-frequency lumped and distributed element circuits, including printed circuit boards with high-density digital and RF content.
Perform circuit-level analysis to evaluate performance, identify issues, and recommend design improvements.
Produce and maintain schematic drawings, test plans, test procedures, and comprehensive test reports.
Collaborate with mission and spacecraft systems engineers, subsystem engineers, and project management through concept-to-launch lifecycle activities.
Support technical concept design and requirements definition for RF payloads and instruments.
Participate in technical reviews, including design reviews and readiness assessments, providing RF and high-frequency expertise.
Assist with project budgets and schedules related to RF and hardware activities.
Lead technical teams across the full development cycle from prototype design and testing through integration and verification.
Guide and mentor team members on RF, microwave, high-speed analog, and digital hardware design best practices.
Support spacecraft integration and test activities, including off-hours testing when required for spacecraft-level operations.
Provide technical insight and status updates to support engagement with sponsors and stakeholders.
Apply communications systems theory and RF theory to payloads, instruments, and associated hardware.
Use microwave, electromagnetic, and high-speed digital tools and simulators to model, analyze, and validate designs.
Perform RF characterization and measurements up to Ka-band and beyond for antennas, RF payloads, and instruments.
Contribute to the design and development of radar systems, military satellite communications systems, sensors, and software-defined radio architectures.
Document design approaches, analyses, and test results and contribute to external publications and technical reports.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent field).
7 or more years of recent, hands-on experience in RF, microwave, or high-frequency analog or digital hardware design.
Spaceflight high-reliability hardware development experience from conceptual design through delivery.
Detailed knowledge of discrete transistor-based circuit design, including test and analysis techniques.
Strong understanding of RF, microwave, high-frequency analog, and digital circuit design principles.
Experience using RF or high-frequency analog and digital CAD tools for circuit design and analysis.
Proficiency in high-speed, RF, and high-density digital circuit layout and packaging.
Ability to conduct circuit-level analysis to determine and optimize performance.
Familiarity with communications systems theory and RF theory.
Experience with microwave, electromagnetic, and high-speed digital tools and simulators such as ADS, HFSS, Genesys, FEKO, HyperLynx, and Ansys SIWave.
Proficiency with layout and schematic capture tools such as Mentor and Altium.
Experience with software-defined radios, antennas, RF characterization and measurements to Ka-band or beyond.
Experience with radar systems design and military satellite communications systems and sensors.
Ability and willingness to work flexible hours for spacecraft-level testing for short periods.
Ability and willingness to travel infrequently to customer or sponsor locations and spacecraft integration and test sites.
Ability to obtain a Top Secret level security clearance, if required for project work.

Additional Skills and Qualifications

PhD degree in Electrical Engineering with leadership experience in RF systems, payload, or instrument design.
History of external publications related to RF, microwave, or high-speed digital hardware.
Experience with lumped and distributed element design techniques using discrete or MMIC-based transistor technologies.
Experience with RF payloads and RF instruments for spacecraft and spaceflight missions.
Experience with payload and flight hardware development for spaceflight applications.
Familiarity with electromagnetic theory and advanced RF concepts relevant to high-frequency systems.
Experience working in highly collaborative, mission-driven engineering environments.
Interest in contributing to national and scientific missions addressing critical technical challenges.

Tools and Technologies

ADS
HFSS
Genesys
FEKO
HyperLynx
Ansys SIWave
Mentor
Altium
Software-defined radios

Work Environment

Onsite role with some flexibility in working hours.
Periods of flexible and off-hours work may be required to support spacecraft-level testing and integration activities.
Occasional travel may be required to customer or sponsor locations and spacecraft integration and test sites.
Regular use of advanced RF, microwave, electromagnetic, and high-speed digital design and simulation tools, plus schematic capture and PCB layout software.

Contract Details, Location, and Pay

Job type: Contract to Hire.
Location: Laurel, MD (onsite).
Salary range: USD 100,000 - 160,000 per yearly.
Pay range note: The pay range is listed as $100000.00 - $160000.00/hr, with eligibility requirements applying to some benefits based on job classification and length of employment.

Benefits

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 5, 2026.

View full job page →

Today

RF Hardware Engineer

Actalent Laurel, MD

Laurel, MD

Today

$100k - $160k/yr Contract Electrical Engineering Design Engineering Engineering

Apply Now

Job Description

Actalent is hiring an RF Hardware Engineer for an onsite contract-to-hire role based in Laurel, MD. In this position, you will design and develop advanced RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital hardware used in spacecraft missions and RF payloads and instruments.

The work spans the full development lifecycle from concept through launch, including circuit design, simulation, layout, testing, documentation, and technical leadership across mission-focused engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

Design RF, microwave, and high-speed analog and digital circuits and components for spaceflight high-reliability applications.
Run detailed circuit and system simulations to predict and optimize performance across RF, microwave, and high-frequency domains.
Create RF and high-frequency lumped and distributed element circuit layouts, including PCBs with high-density digital and RF content.
Perform circuit-level analysis to assess performance, identify issues, and recommend design improvements.
Develop and maintain schematic drawings, test plans, test procedures, and test reports for hardware designs.
Collaborate with mission and spacecraft systems engineers, subsystem engineers, and project management across the concept-to-launch lifecycle.
Support technical concept design and requirements definition for RF payloads and instruments.
Participate in technical reviews, including design reviews and readiness assessments, providing expert input on RF and high-frequency hardware.
Assist with budgets and schedules related to RF and hardware activities.
Lead teams through conceptualization, trade studies, prototype design and testing, flight hardware development, integration, and verification.
Mentor team members on best practices for RF, microwave, high-speed analog, and digital hardware design.
Support spacecraft integration and test activities, including off-hours testing when required for spacecraft-level operations.
Provide technical insight and status updates to support engagement with sponsors and stakeholders.
Apply communications systems theory and RF theory to the design and analysis of payloads, instruments, and associated hardware.
Use microwave, electromagnetic, and high-speed digital tools and simulators to model, analyze, and validate designs.
Conduct RF characterization and measurements up to Ka-band and beyond, including evaluation of antennas, RF payloads, and instruments.
Contribute to radar systems, military satellite communications systems, sensors, and software-defined radio architectures.
Document approaches, analyses, and test results, and contribute to external publications and technical reports.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
7+ years of recent, hands-on experience in RF, microwave, or high-frequency analog or digital hardware design.
Experience developing spaceflight high-reliability hardware from conceptual design through delivery.
Detailed knowledge of discrete transistor-based circuit design, including test and analysis techniques.
Strong RF, microwave, high-frequency analog, and digital circuit design fundamentals.
Experience with RF or high-frequency analog/digital CAD tools for circuit design and analysis.
Proficiency in high-speed, RF, and high-density digital circuit layout and packaging.
Ability to conduct circuit-level analysis to determine and optimize performance.
Familiarity with communications systems theory and RF theory.
Experience with tools and simulators including ADS, HFSS, Genesys, FEKO, HyperLynx, and Ansys SIWave.
Proficiency with layout and schematic capture tools such as Mentor and Altium.
Experience with software-defined radios, antennas, and RF characterization and measurements to Ka-band or beyond.
Experience with radar systems design and military satellite communications systems and sensors.
Willingness to work flexible hours for short periods during spacecraft-level testing.
Willingness to travel infrequently to customer or sponsor locations and spacecraft integration and test sites.
Ability to obtain a Top Secret security clearance, if required.

Tools & Technologies

ADS, HFSS, Genesys, FEKO, HyperLynx, Ansys SIWave, Mentor, Altium

Contract, Location, and Schedule

Job type: Contract to Hire
Location: Laurel, MD (fully onsite)
Work environment: onsite role with some flexibility; off-hours work may be required for spacecraft-level testing and integration

Compensation and Benefits

Pay range: $100,000 - $160,000 per year (listed pay range is also shown as $100000.00 - $160000.00/hr)
Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan (Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available)
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Application Timeline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 30, 2026.

View full job page →

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