RF Engineer

About Skyeton, Inc Skyeton is an aerospace and defense technology company focused on the design, production, and support of advanced unmanned aerial systems. At our growing Fayetteville, North Carolina operation, employees help establish and scale U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities that support demanding customer missions. Company Culture Skyeton combines the energy of a growing organization with the discipline required in aerospace manufacturing. We value teamwork, accountability, practical problem-solving, precise execution, and a willingness to improve. Our people make a difference, and every employee contributes directly to product quality, operational readiness, and customer success.

About the role The RF Engineer designs, integrates, tests, and supports radio-frequency systems for Skyeton unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including airborne and ground-based communications, command and control, telemetry, and payload data links. The position translates mission requirements into reliable RF architectures, antenna installations, and verified system performance across intended operating environments. This role partners with Systems, Electrical, Embedded Software, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Quality, and Flight Operations teams throughout development, production, and sustainment. Success requires strong RF fundamentals, practical laboratory and field testing skills, disciplined documentation, and an understanding of how aircraft integration affects communication reliability. What you'll do · Develop RF system requirements, architectures, interface definitions, and verification plans for airborne radios, ground stations, antennas, and associated RF components. · Prepare and maintain link budgets addressing transmit power, receiver sensitivity, antenna gain and pattern, cable and connector losses, propagation, fade margin, interference, and mission geometry. · Select, evaluate, and integrate radios, modems, amplifiers, filters, low-noise amplifiers, duplexers, couplers, attenuators, RF switches, connectors, and coaxial cable assemblies. · Design and evaluate RF circuits or subsystems as assigned, including matching networks, filtering, gain distribution, impedance control, grounding, shielding, and power requirements. · Analyze antenna selection, placement, polarization, radiation patterns, isolation, and coverage; collaborate with Mechanical Engineering on mounting, radomes, routing, bonding, and environmental protection. · Evaluate RF coexistence and interference among aircraft radios, payloads, navigation equipment, electronics, and ground systems; identify desensitization, coupling, harmonics, and intermodulation issues. · Use RF simulation and analysis tools to assess circuit behavior, antenna performance, propagation, and integration tradeoffs; validate analytical results through measurement. · Perform laboratory characterization using spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, RF signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes, and related equipment. · Measure and document parameters such as return loss, insertion loss, gain, noise figure, output power, occupied bandwidth, spurious emissions, receiver sensitivity, and applicable error-rate metrics. · Develop repeatable test procedures, fixtures, scripts, and acceptance criteria; maintain equipment calibration awareness and account for measurement uncertainty and test setup losses. · Plan and support ground and flight tests to evaluate range, coverage, link availability, latency, throughput, and system behavior under representative operating conditions. · Analyze RF logs and flight or field data; investigate intermittent link failures, interference, integration defects, and performance limitations using structured root-cause methods. · Coordinate with Software and Systems Engineering on radio configuration, diagnostics, network interfaces, data rates, and link monitoring or recovery behavior. · Support EMI/EMC and environmental qualification activities, including test planning, troubleshooting, corrective actions, and verification against applicable program requirements. · Coordinate with responsible compliance specialists on frequency use, spectrum authorization, equipment approvals, customer restrictions, and RF exposure controls before testing or deployment. · Create and maintain RF block diagrams, schematics where applicable, interface documents, bills of material, cable loss budgets, configurations, test reports, and engineering change records. · Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain on supplier evaluation, incoming acceptance, production test methods, component substitutions, and field sustainment. · Participate in design and test-readiness reviews; communicate technical, schedule, cost, supply, and reliability risks with practical mitigation options. · Follow approved engineering, configuration control, safety, security, and information-protection processes; contribute lessons learned and perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, RF engineering, telecommunications engineering, or a closely related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of relevant technical education and experience. · Three or more years of relevant experience developing, integrating, or testing RF communications systems, antennas, radios, or related hardware. · Strong understanding of RF fundamentals, transmission lines, impedance matching, S-parameters, antennas, propagation, link budgets, noise, interference, and modulation concepts. · Hands-on experience using RF laboratory equipment and interpreting measurements to identify hardware and system performance issues. · Experience integrating RF components and antenna systems, including evaluation of cable losses, connector interfaces, grounding, shielding, and coexistence. · Ability to develop test plans, analyze results, document configurations, and communicate evidence-based technical recommendations. · Proficiency with relevant analysis or simulation tools and data analysis using MATLAB, Python, or comparable software. · Ability to read electrical schematics, RF block diagrams, mechanical installation drawings, and component specifications. · Strong communication, problem-solving, and collaboration skills, with the ability to manage priorities in a fast-moving engineering environment. · Ability to support laboratory, ground, and flight-test activities and travel to test sites, suppliers, or customer locations as required. Preferred Qualifications · Master’s degree in electrical engineering, electromagnetics, communications, or a related discipline. · Experience with UAS, avionics, airborne communications, telemetry, command and control, or long-range line-of-sight data links. · Experience with digital communications, software-defined radios, diversity techniques, mesh networks, or resilient communications in congested RF environments. · Experience with antenna simulation or RF circuit tools such as HFSS, CST, ADS, AWR, or comparable software. · Experience with RF PCB layout, impedance-controlled routing, RF connectors, RF front-end design, or radio module integration. · Experience supporting EMI/EMC or environmental testing using applicable DO-160, MIL-STD-461, or MIL-STD-810 requirements. · Experience with automated RF testing, antenna pattern measurements, over-the-air testing, or production RF acceptance testing. · Experience supporting aerospace or defense programs, export-controlled technical data, and formal engineering configuration management. Skills and Competencies RF system integration • Antennas and propagation • Link budget analysis • Laboratory measurement • Interference troubleshooting • Test data analysis • Technical documentation • Customer focus • Cross-functional collaboration

Benefits

· Competitive compensation commensurate with experience. · Paid Time Off (PTO) and a 401(k) plan with company match. · Company-paid employee medical coverage, plus dental and vision insurance, subject to plan terms. · Career growth opportunities within a growing aerospace organization supporting mission-critical unmanned aircraft systems. Work Environment Work is performed in office, electronics laboratory, manufacturing, hangar, ground-test, and flight-test environments as program needs require. Domestic and international travel may be required. Duties include computer work, detailed bench testing, handling electronic equipment, and working outdoors at test sites. Employees follow applicable ESD, FOD, RF exposure, electrical safety, aircraft safety, security, and PPE requirements. Essential functions may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation. Equal Opportunity Statement Skyeton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified applicants and employees. This position may involve access to export-controlled items, technical data, or customer information. Employees must meet applicable access requirements. Any required background screening or customer or government clearance requirements will depend on the position’s assigned work.