Manager, RF Engineering

The Leonardo DRS Airborne and Intelligence Systems business is a global leader and strategic partner committed to delivering world-class, full life-cycle defense and intelligence products that protect the security of our nation and our allies. From air combat training to state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems, our technology is deployed by virtually all U.S. military and government agencies around the world.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Manager, RF Engineering to lead the development of advanced RF and microwave products and subsystems within our Signal Solutions line of business. This role is responsible for technical leadership, execution, and development of the RF Engineering team supporting complex receiver, tuner, and RF subsystem development from concept through production.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in RF receiver and tuner architecture, component-level RF design, circuit-card development, RF simulation, integration, and troubleshooting, combined with strong engineering leadership and the ability to guide multidisciplinary product development.

This leader will manage and mentor RF engineers ranging from early-career engineers through senior technical experts while remaining actively engaged in technical decision-making, design reviews, architecture development, and complex problem resolution.

This role will be instrumental in advancing our RF engineering capabilities through model-based design, simulation, reusable architectures, design standardization, and improved design-to-test correlation, while ensuring successful execution across active programs and new business pursuits.

Involved with design, build, and test of cutting-edge analog and mixed-signal devices such as amplifiers, filters, and ADCs. Contribute to RF requirements analysis, definition, and management. Conduct functional analysis, performance analysis (e.g. Instantaneous Dynamic Range, Noise Figure, Pass Band Response, etc.), interface analysis, and definition for the design, integration, and verification of RF components, equipment, and systems.

Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for supervising a team of engineers on an activity and completion of activity on time and budget
• Ability to supervise a technical group independently
• Manage budget, cost, and schedule input for design assignments
• Drive the program design to cost and design for manufacture requirements
• Communicate clearly (written and oral) with other company personnel and the customer as required
• Participate in preparation of proposals
• Supervise and direct the work of others as assigned
• Support, communicate, reinforce, and defend the mission, values, and culture of the organization
• Attend appropriate engineering, customer, or business meetings
• Manage / supervise a team of engineers
• Provide technical leadership for the architecture, design, development, integration, and verification of advanced RF receivers, tuners, and RF/microwave subsystems.
• Lead component-level and circuit-card-level RF development involving amplifiers, LNAs, mixers, filters, attenuators, switches, synthesizers/PLLs, frequency-conversion architectures, and associated RF components.
• Guide RF architecture and design trades involving frequency planning, gain distribution, noise figure, dynamic range, linearity, compression, IP2/IP3, spurious performance, phase noise, isolation, and sensitivity.
• Ensure effective use of RF modeling and simulation tools to predict and optimize performance prior to hardware implementation.
• Lead and participate in schematic reviews, component selection, design reviews, layout reviews, test-readiness reviews, and technical peer reviews.
• Drive correlation between simulation, lab measurements, qualification results, and production performance to improve design predictability and reduce development risk.
• Provide technical leadership during RF hardware bring-up, integration, troubleshooting, and root-cause investigations involving hardware, firmware, digital hardware, software, and test systems.
• Partner with Systems, Digital/FPGA, Embedded Software, Mechanical, PCB, Test Engineering, Manufacturing, and Program Management throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Ensure RF designs incorporate appropriate considerations for manufacturability, testability, reliability, environmental requirements, and production transition.
• Establish and improve reusable RF architectures, design practices, modeling approaches, analysis methods, and engineering standards across programs.
• Drive continuous improvement in RF development processes with emphasis on reducing design iterations, improving first-pass success, and identifying technical risk earlier in the development lifecycle.
• Manage RF engineering resources across multiple concurrent programs and balance program execution, technical development, proposal activities, and strategic capability investments.
• Support new business activities including RF architecture development, technical proposals, RFP/RFQ responses, technical estimates, basis-of-estimate development, and customer presentations.
• Develop and maintain a long-term RF technology and capability roadmap aligned with anticipated customer and business needs.
• Support lab capability and RF test-equipment planning in partnership with Test Engineering and Engineering Labs.
• Mentor engineers and develop the organization's next generation of RF technical leaders and subject-matter experts.
• Effectively communicate technical risks, tradeoffs, status, and recommendations to engineering leadership, program management, customers, and other key stakeholders.
• Support, communicate, reinforce, and defend the mission, values, and culture of the organization

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field. Such as,STEM discipline, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant engineering experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in engineering leadership, technical leadership, or people-management experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing RF/microwave hardware at the component, circuit-card, module, or subsystem level.
• Strong understanding of RF receiver and/or tuner architectures, including frequency conversion, filtering, amplification, gain control, frequency synthesis, and signal-chain design.
• Strong understanding of RF performance parameters including gain, noise figure, sensitivity, dynamic range, compression, IP2/IP3, spurious performance, phase noise, and isolation.
• Experience performing RF architecture trades, frequency planning, component selection, and design analysis.
• Experience with RF circuit and system simulation/modeling tools such as Keysight Genesys, Cadence AWR, Ansys HFSS, MATLAB, or comparable tools.
• Hands-on experience with RF lab equipment including vector network analyzers, spectrum/signal analyzers, signal generators, oscilloscopes, power meters, and related instrumentation.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex RF hardware and isolate performance issues at the component, circuit-card, and subsystem levels.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering activities through design, integration, verification, qualification, and transition to production.
• Ability to lead technical reviews and provide technical direction to senior and junior engineers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex technical issues to engineering, program, and business leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of RF/microwave product-development experience.
• Experience developing wideband receivers, tuners, frequency-conversion systems, EW/SIGINT systems, radar, communications systems, or other high-performance RF electronics.
• Experience with high-dynamic-range receiver architectures and challenging interference, linearity, spurious, and noise requirements.
• Experience designing RF products spanning multiple frequency bands and/or wide instantaneous bandwidths.
• Experience correlating RF simulation results with measured hardware performance and production data.
• Experience with PCB-level RF design, layout considerations, signal integrity, EMI/EMC, shielding, grounding, and isolation.
• Familiarity with digital/FPGA-based signal-processing architectures, ADC/DAC interfaces, embedded systems, and mixed RF/digital product development.
• Experience supporting environmental qualification, EMI/EMC testing, reliability activities, and manufacturing transition.
• Experience developing reusable RF architectures or standardizing engineering design methodologies across multiple products or programs.
• Experience supporting defense/aerospace products and development environments.
• Experience developing technical proposals, engineering estimates, and RF development plans for new business pursuits

U.S. Citizenship required. This position requires an active DOD security clearance or the ability to obtain such clearance within a reasonable time after commencement of employment.

Taking care of our people is a top priority at Leonardo DRS. We are proud to offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a company contribution to a health savings account, telemedicine, life and disability insurance, legal insurance, and a 401(k) savings plan. We champion wellness programs that focus on physical, emotional, and financial well-being. We develop our talent by offering programs and activities to support career-growth, professional development, and skill enhancement. And we understand there is more to life than work, and the importance of offering flexible work schedules with our 9/80 program, competitive vacation, health/emergency leave, paid parental leave, and community service hours.

• Some employees are eligible for limited benefits only

Leonardo DRS, Inc. and its subsidiaries provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. #AIS

Our Vision. To be the leading mid-tier defense technology company in the U.S.

Our Values. The Leonardo DRS culture is defined by our Core Values and Principles:

• Integrity
• Agility
• Excellence
• Customer Focus
• Community & Respect
• Innovation

We strive to uphold them in all aspects of our business practices to inspire our employees and provide outstanding support for our customers.

Nearest Major Market: Washington DC