Radio Frequency (RF) / Communications Engineer

Overview

Bowhead seeks a Radio Frequency (RF) / Communications Engineer to join our team supporting NIWC Atlantic. The engineer will play a critical role in the research, development, and rapid prototyping of the Agnostic Mission Message Orchestrator (AMMO) project. While the hardware team builds the physical box, this role is responsible for making it communicate. Focused on logical integration and signal performance, this position ensures robust, secure, and resilient connectivity to U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) operational networks by provisioning, configuring, and optimizing 5G/LTE, tactical mesh, and SATCOM transport layers at the tactical edge.

This position is 100% onsite. No hybrid/flex or remote work schedules are permitted for this effort.

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, and optimize the logical network architecture, IP routing, and data flow for the AMMO prototypes.• Provision, tune, and manage the wireless transport layers, strictly focusing on the signal and network configuration of 5G/LTE modules, military tactical radios, and SATCOM terminals.• Implement software/configuration solutions for signal tuning and interference mitigation.• Ensure seamless logical interoperability and secure data transit between the AMMO edge node and existing USMC tactical networks.• Execute field testing to validate network survivability, signal range, bandwidth availability, and overall communication performance in simulated tactical environments.• Define precise antenna specifications, signal isolation needs, and optimal placement requirements, handing these specifications off to the Hardware Engineer for physical construction.• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications, Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering (with RF focus), or a related technical discipline.• 5+ years of hands-on experience in RF network architecture, logical systems configuration, and wireless signal optimization.• Demonstrated expertise in configuring and tuning 5G/LTE cellular networks, tactical radio networks, and IP routing protocols.• Familiarity with USMC or broader DoD tactical communication networks, data architectures, and network security protocols.• Proven ability to analyze RF signals and troubleshoot network connectivity drops in a fast-paced R&D environment.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Must currently hold a Secret clearance.

Physical Demands:• Requires physical mobility to set up, configure, and monitor network testing equipment in both laboratory and field testing environments.• May require occasional work outdoors for RF range testing, signal verification, and network validation.• Must be able to lift, move, and position equipment in both indoor and outdoor environments, including on uneven or natural surfaces.• Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods.• Must be able to lean, crouch, twist, bend, and squat as needed to inspect or analyze equipment.• Must be able to work outdoors in deployed environments and perform duties in adverse weather conditions, including cold, rain, snow, and heat.

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