Multifunction EW RF Engineer

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. They are seeking a Multifunction EW RF Engineer to design, integrate, and field RF sensing capabilities that provide wideband spectrum awareness aboard autonomous vehicles.

Responsibilities:

• Design, integrate, and test RF front end design & subsystems supporting EMSO and EW sensing, including antennas, RF front-end components, and software-defined radios (SDRs)
• Develop RF architectures that enable wideband spectrum awareness, direction finding, and spectrum agility across VHF, UHF, and lower SHF bands
• Work with external vendors and partners to specify, evaluate, and validate custom RF components or subsystems when required to ensure Forterra’s systems can support a wide array for tasks
• Rapidly prototype RF systems using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or government off-the-shelf (GOTS) components, balancing speed, performance, and system maturity
• Perform RF field testing, system demonstrations , experimentation, and validation
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to integrate RF hardware into autonomous vehicle platforms, considering antenna placement, grounding, shielding, and enclosure considerations
• Diagnose and resolve RF performance issues including interference, data rate/bandwidth limitations, and RF chain degradation in real-world environments

Requirements:

• 7+ years of experience designing, building, and testing RF or wireless systems from concept through deployment
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, including antenna theory, array processing, RF propagation, impedance matching, filtering, and low-noise amplification
• Experience analyzing RF system performance using link budgets, VSWR, noise figure, and dynamic range
• Practical experience across a broad range of frequencies, from VHF and UHF through lower SHF
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate RF concepts clearly to non-RF engineers
• Familiarity with EMSO, EW, or SIGINT systems and spectrum-awareness workflows
• Experience with antenna arrays, phased arrays, beamforming, or RF direction-finding techniques
• Knowledge of digital signal processing techniques for RF systems
• Programming experience (Python, MATLAB, C/C++) for RF test automation and data analysis
• Experience integrating RF systems onto platforms
• Prior experience working in fast-paced, small-team, or field-focused development environments