RF Communications Engineer SME

We are seeking a highly skilled RF Communications Engineer SME with a focus on RF Engineering to join our team supporting advanced space systems and/or missile defense systems in Huntsville, Alabama.

This pivotal role requires expertise in analyzing and optimizing communication systems, including determining link margins, evaluating waveforms, and calculating data rates to ensure mission success in challenging environments.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Radio Frequency (RF) engineering, signal propagation, and system-level communications design for aerospace or defense applications. This position involves collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams, including systems engineering, payload integration, and mission planning, to design and verify resilient communication architectures.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and optimize RF communication systems for space and/or missile platforms.
• Calculate link budgets by evaluating factors such as transmitter power, receiver sensitivity, antenna characteristics, losses, environmental impacts, and more.
• Analyze and select waveforms tailored to mission-specific communication requirements, such as secure transmission, signal robustness, and noise immunity.
• Determine data rates and system performance requirements across multiple communication links, including space-to-ground, missile-to-satellite, and platform-to-platform architectures.
• Implement models for RF propagation and predict system performance under varying environmental conditions (e.g., plasma effects during re-entry, space vacuum, missile speeds, atmospheric attenuation).
• Perform system trade studies to evaluate communication technologies, such as frequency bands, modulation schemes, coding techniques, and encryption.
• Collaborate with payload integration teams to ensure communication subsystems align with overall system design, constraints, and mission goals.
• Provide expertise in communication standards, security protocols, and classifications specific to DoD space and missile programs.
• Produce technical reports, link budget analyses, and presentations for review by government stakeholders and program leadership.
  
  

Required Skills And Expertise

• Extensive experience with RF link budget analysis and understanding of system-level trade-offs.
• Strong background in waveform design, and modulation techniques.
• Expertise in calculating and optimizing data rates across communication links while ensuring reliability and minimizing latency.
• Knowledge of RF propagation in both terrestrial and space environments, including challenges such as Doppler shift, attenuation, interference, and plasma effects during re-entry.
• Understanding of antenna theory and design principles for spaceborne and missile communications systems.
• Familiarity with key communication standards and protocols, including MIL-STD.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Exceptional communication abilities, including technical writing and presenting complex analyses to technical and non-technical audiences.
  
  

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with 15 years’ related experience; Master’s degree preferred.
  
  

Required Security Clearance

• Must have an Active Top-Secret Clearance with SCI Eligibility
• 5 years’ prior experience for access to Special Access Program Information (SAP), or Controlled Access Program (CAP); must have 1 year in the last 5 years.
  
  

The pay range for this position in California is $175,000/year to $215,000/ year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on established government contract ranges, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, and other factors. MTSI also offers a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Base pay information is based on market location. Applicants should apply via MTSI's internal or external careers site.

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