RF Engineer (Assaulter)

Job Title: RF Engineer (Assaulter)

Job Description

This role focuses on bringing up, optimizing, and supporting the release to production of existing RF power amplifier and transceiver board designs. You will work primarily in the 30-512 MHz range on a mature board platform that supports 30-2600 MHz, concentrating on high‑efficiency GaN power amplifiers and very low SWaP (size, weight, and power) products used in advanced tactical radio systems.

Responsibilities

• Bring up and validate existing RF power amplifier and transceiver board designs, ensuring they meet performance, reliability, and production requirements.
• Optimize high‑efficiency GaN power amplifiers operating in the 30-512 MHz frequency range to achieve specified RF output power levels and efficiency targets.
• Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve RF defects and performance issues at the board and subsystem level, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Refine and optimize sub‑band filter designs to improve overall RF performance, including insertion loss, selectivity, and linearity.
• Support the release of mature RF designs into production by preparing and reviewing documentation, test procedures, and design updates.
• Collaborate closely with digital hardware and systems engineering teams to integrate RF power amplifiers and transceiver boards into secure communications and SIGINT radio products.
• Work within a very low SWaP product domain, balancing performance, efficiency, size, and thermal constraints in RF designs.
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions, providing expert‑level guidance on RF architecture, implementation, and trade‑offs.
• Support manufacturing and test teams by addressing production issues, refining test approaches, and improving manufacturability of RF boards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of existing RF designs and processes to enhance performance, reliability, and ease of production.

Essential Skills

• Expert‑level experience (15+ years) in RF engineering with a strong focus on power amplifiers and transceiver board bring‑up.
• Extensive hands‑on experience bringing up and optimizing high‑efficiency GaN power amplifiers.
• Deep knowledge and practical experience working in the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range.
• Proven ability to achieve and validate RF output power levels around 5 watt average and 10 watt peak.
• Strong experience with sub‑band filter design and optimization for RF systems.
• Demonstrated experience working in very low SWaP (size, weight, and power) product domains.
• Solid experience in electrical engineering and hardware design, particularly for RF and power amplifier circuits.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Preferred: BSEE or MSEE with a specialization in RF design.
• Experience supporting mature RF designs through optimization rather than greenfield development.
• Experience working on RF systems for secure communications or signals intelligence (SIGINT) applications.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary engineering teams, including digital hardware and systems engineers.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills for diagnosing complex RF issues and implementing robust solutions.

Work Environment

You will work in a heavy engineering design and manufacturing environment where all products are designed and built in house. The role is fully onsite and embedded within a team of approximately seven engineers responsible primarily for digital hardware design supporting secure communications and SIGINT radio product lines. The environment emphasizes hands‑on work with RF and digital hardware in a production‑oriented setting, offering close collaboration with design, test, and manufacturing teams on advanced tactical radio systems.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Germantown, MD.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $72.00 - $96.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • 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)

Workplace Type

This is a fully remote position.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 11, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.