Principal RF Engineer - UAS Communications

Principal RF & Command and Control Architect - Lead Communications Engineering for Advanced Unmanned Aircraft Platforms!

Fort Worth, TX | On-site

Opportunity Summary

Join a high-growth aerospace innovator developing next-generation unmanned aircraft systems for government and mission-critical commercial customers. This organization designs and manufactures scalable, production-ready aircraft platforms engineered for rapid deployment and operational resilience. We are seeking a Principal RF and Command and Control Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority for RF communications, network architecture, and C2 system performance across multiple UAS platforms. This is a high-impact role with ownership over architecture decisions, survivability strategy, and system-level integration from early development through fielded deployment. If you thrive in contested spectrum environments and want to shape communications systems that directly impact mission success, this is a rare opportunity to lead at the platform level.

About Us

We are a U.S.-based unmanned aircraft developer focused on scalable manufacturing, mission-ready systems, and resilient communications architectures. Our platforms are engineered with producibility, rapid deployment, and operational reliability in mind. Serving both government and advanced commercial customers, we are building aircraft that perform in complex environments where reliability, security, and survivability are essential.

Job Duties

System Architecture and RF Ownership

• Define and maintain end-to-end RF and command-and-control architecture across airborne and ground segments
• Lead architecture decisions for multi-band radios, antenna placement, waveform strategy, mesh networking, and power configuration
• Develop link budgets, interference mitigation strategies, and system margin analysis supporting LOS and BLOS operations
• Establish technical baselines and scalable design standards to ensure production-ready communications performance
  
  

Network Engineering and Cyber Resilience

• Architect IP-based network systems supporting C2, telemetry, payload data, and tactical interoperability
• Lead encryption alignment, key management strategy, secure boot implementation, and COMSEC compliance
• Define cyber hardening standards across airborne and ground components
• Ensure compliance with government spectrum, security, and communications requirements
  
  

Flight Test and Performance Validation

• Plan and execute flight test campaigns validating latency, throughput, range, and spectrum utilization
• Lead over-the-air testing and EMI/EMC assessments
• Characterize system performance under environmental and contested conditions
• Drive corrective action across hardware, firmware, and network stack to meet mission assurance and airworthiness criteria
  
  

Operational Deployment and Field Support

• Provide senior technical oversight for deployed network configurations and forward-site operations
• Define antenna alignment procedures, installation kits, and frequency deconfliction standards
• Serve as escalation authority for spectrum conflicts and mission-critical C2 degradation
• Support mobile ground node integration and fielded system optimization
  
  

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with avionics, GNC, payload, manufacturing, quality, and mission operations teams
• Serve as senior technical interface to government customers, partners, and RF vendors
• Mentor and guide junior RF, systems, and network engineers
• Translate communications constraints into programmatic and mission-level impacts
  
  

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in RF systems engineering, network engineering, or command-and-control integration within aerospace, defense, or advanced communications environments
• Strong background in multi-band RF systems, MIMO architectures, waveform selection, modulation techniques, and mesh networking
• Proven experience performing link budget analysis and RF interference mitigation
• Deep familiarity with IP network architectures and secure communications systems
• Experience leading flight test validation, EMI/EMC evaluation, and over-the-air datalink verification
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, RF Systems, or related technical field
• Ability to travel up to 25% for flight test, customer engagement, and deployment support
  
  

Preferred Experience

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Network Engineering, Secure Communications, or related discipline
• Experience defining DoD waveform strategies, LPI and LPD techniques, and SATCOM-enabled architectures
• Background working with tactical RF vendors or comparable communications systems
• Familiarity with export compliance, spectrum authorization processes, and rapid acquisition environments
• Experience designing contested communications architectures for mission-critical systems
  
  

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to define architecture at the platform level
• High-ownership leadership role with direct mission impact
• Fast-paced engineering environment with real flight test exposure
• Direct collaboration with executive technical leadership
• Opportunity for professional growth within a rapidly scaling aerospace organization
• Strong PTO policy
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) plan
• Competitive compensation structure
  
  

Compensation Details

$150,000 - $200,000