Our Company

ARA is a C5ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests, and installs products ranging from antennas to RF components and RF systems in applications keeping our joint forces secure, superior and safe. We create and deliver an array of products for both military and civilian applications that combine innovative discoveries from companies we’ve acquired, including SI2 Technologies and AQYR, whose technologies complement and enhance our trusted systems. Our capabilities span from Electronic Warfare and Military Communications to Radar and Satellite Systems. For more than 60 years, ARA has provided our military with unparalleled information, improved situational awareness, immediate threat detection and precision targeting.

From ideation to installation, ARA supplies unique antenna systems in both high-volume and smaller quantities to meet our customers’ needs and ensure success. Our US locations have fully staffed outdoor antenna test ranges, engineers, and on-site manufacturing lines and machine shops.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior RF Engineer who can significantly contribute to the growth of our existing sensor, communication and ISR systems. To be successful in this position, candidates must be innovative, enjoy learning and expanding their knowledge base, thrive on meeting challenging performance requirements, transition designs and prototypes to fielded products, and have good communication skills to determine customer needs and create winning proposals.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Perform state of the art engineering in design, modeling and testing of RF/microwave components, circuitry, and systems, developing processes and technology supporting government and commercial ISR, radar, and communication development programs. Manage in-house breadboard builds and contract manufacturers in fabrication and assembly of prototype and LRIP boards.
• Test RF components, circuitry, and systems and analyze results in comparison to predicted performance and provide assessment of design, manufacturing process and performance. Write technical reports, prepare presentations, and present results in management and customer settings.
• Perform RF and microwave engineering tasks such as performance modeling, failure mode analysis/troubleshooting, control synthesis, and verification/validation testing. 
• Generate subsystem and component requirements from the established high level (parent) requirements.
• Work individually and with other engineers, business development, management, and subcontractors to develop competitive solutions for contract R&D proposals. Develop white papers, demonstrations, and proposals to identify, qualify and capture new contract R&D business including Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and non-SBIR solicitations.
• Support the Program Manager in setting cost and schedule requirements and support the Business Development Team on other activities (e.g. presentations and white papers). 
• Serve as Principal Investigator for research and development efforts, to include actively participating in technical business development, monitoring of project technical progress, updating project schedules, and overseeing project budget. Maintain communications with customers through regular reports and technical briefings, both in-person and electronic. 
• Develop trusted partner relationships with both Government and Prime Contractor SME’s. 
• Maintain knowledge of the state-of-the-art electronic design of sensor, communication and ISR systems through participation in professional organizations, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and engaging in educational opportunities.
• Supervise and mentor junior engineers to enable their professional growth.

Position Qualifications

Competency Statement(s)

• Adaptability - Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilities.
• Communication - Ability to clearly communicate and interact with others.
• Decision Making - Able to reach a decision, takes thoughtful approach when considering options, seeks input from others, makes difficult decisions.
• Employee Management - Defines responsibilities, motivates employees, delegates well.
• Ethics - Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality.
• Initiative - Ability to take on task before being asked.
• Leadership - Provides strong leadership, sets a good example, skilled decision maker, motivator, and encourager.
• Organized - Possessing the trait of being organized or following a systematic method of performing a task.
• Quality - Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve products/services.

Experience and Skills

• In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance 
• Hands-on experience in the analysis, design, prototyping, testing, and implementation of RF circuitry, components, and systems for military EW, ISR, radar and communication systems.
• A track record of leading teams of engineers in similar RF systems development, including standardized gate review processes.
• Background in analysis and development of advanced concepts for active phased-array (AESA) RF systems and broadband antenna systems. Working knowledge of military EW, ISR, communications and radar systems. 
• Technical experience in the areas of signal processing, signal exploitation, direction finding, surveillance systems, geolocation, and communications systems.
• A high proficiency with board design and layout tools such as Altium. Experience with electromagnetic modeling tools such as HFSS and CST, Microwave Office. Proficiency with MatLab, Simulink, or similar software is preferred.
• Hands-on experience writing, winning, and executing R&D contracts and grants, e.g. BAAs, SBIRs, etc., for DoD and/or other US Government agencies. 
• Technical experience working with the DoD and Defense Prime Contractors on contract R&D programs. 
• Ability to travel, as required, to prospective and existing customer and vender facilities, conferences, and trade shows. 

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with embedded, low-power systems for sensor and/or SDR platforms; with electronic warfare sensor systems such as active countermeasures and DRFM systems; and with data acquisition, signal conditioning, power conditioning and communications circuitry
• Experience with design, build, test, and integration of Secondary Surveillance Radar and Interrogator Friend or Foe (IFF) systems
• Experience working in a small business environment is a strong plus.

Education and Experience

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with 7 years’ relevant experience, or M.S. degree with 12 years’ relevant experience

Antenna Research Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries encourage diversity in the workplace; we are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran