What are the responsibilities and job description for the RF & Wireless Systems Engineer position at Angel Aerial Systems?
Role Description
We are seeking an RF & Wireless Systems Engineer to own the design, integration, testing, and certification of wireless communication systems across our UAV platforms. This role is ideal for an engineer who is passionate about RF and enjoys moving between system-level design, hands-on laboratory work, and real-world flight testing.
This is a full-time, on-site role located in Cincinnati, OH.
What You’ll Do
- Own wireless communication systems across our UAV platforms, including command-and-control, telemetry, video, and payload-data links
- Design RF architectures, develop link budgets, and select radios, antennas, and supporting RF hardware
- Integrate, test, and troubleshoot communication systems in laboratory and flight-test environments
- Conduct antenna characterization, range testing, interference analysis, and system-performance validation
- Support FCC certification activities and regulatory compliance
- Investigate EMI/EMC issues and RF coexistence challenges
- Collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, embedded software, autonomy, and systems engineers
- Evaluate emerging communication technologies and work directly with radio and antenna vendors
- Document technical decisions, designs, test results, and system performance
What We’re Looking For
- A genuine passion for RF, wireless communications, and solving difficult technical problems
- Strong understanding of RF and microwave engineering fundamentals
- Knowledge of RF propagation, impedance matching, antenna principles, and wireless communication systems
- Hands-on familiarity with RF measurement techniques and laboratory test equipment
- Ability to make practical engineering tradeoffs involving size, weight, power, cost, performance, and schedule
- Strong communication and technical documentation skills
- Comfort working across multiple engineering disciplines
- Ability to learn quickly, take ownership, and work independently in a fast-paced, small-team environment
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, physics, or a related discipline
- Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, antennas, propagation, modulation, wireless communications, and electromagnetic principles
- Experience designing and debugging electronic hardware, including schematic capture, PCB layout, and board bring-up using tools such as Altium Designer
- Experience using spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes, and related laboratory equipment
- Understanding of communication-system architecture, RF integration, link-budget analysis, and wireless-network design
- Familiarity with UART, CAN, RS-232, Ethernet, TCP/IP, UDP, routing, and data-transport architectures
- Knowledge of digital communication systems, including telemetry, video transmission, modulation techniques, throughput optimization, latency, and link reliability
Preferred Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant discipline
- Experience with UAVs, aerospace, robotics, or autonomous systems
- Experience with PX4, MAVLink, Linux, embedded systems, or ground-control software
- Experience integrating RF links for telemetry, command-and-control, video, payload data, or mesh-networking applications
- Familiarity with FCC certification, FAA Remote ID, EMI/EMC testing, and regulatory compliance
- Experience with RF or electromagnetic simulation tools
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, or willingness to obtain one