RF Systems Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 17, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 28, 2026.
Basic Qualifications
Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering or Mathematics field. Also requires 5+ years of job-related experience, or a Master's degree plus 3 years of job-related experience.
CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.
Responsibilities for this Position
As an RF Systems Engineer on the Rescue 21 program, you will serve as the technical team lead for a small team of RF engineers, driving the maintenance, troubleshooting, and lifecycle sustainment of a mission-critical Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system. You will apply your deep RF expertise to solve real-world problems - from antenna performance and direction-finding equipment to interference mitigation and system reliability.
Key hardware and systems you'll work with include:
- Land Mobile Radios (VHF/UHF)
- RF Antennas and Direction Finding Equipment
- RF Test Equipment (VNAs, Spectrum Analyzers, Signal Sources, Power Meters, Communication Analyzers)
- RF coverage analysis software and link budget analysis
Beyond hands-on technical work, you'll collaborate cross-functionally with systems, software, mechanical, and field engineers, and serve as a remote technical resource for Field Service Representatives deployed across Coast Guard stations nationwide.
What you’ll experience:
- Lead and mentor a small team of RF Systems Engineers, fostering technical growth and best practices
- Perform failure analysis, root cause investigation, and corrective action implementation for RF systems
- Lead requirements analysis, functional analysis, and performance analysis for system design, integration, and verification
- Design, plan, and execute test plans and procedures to ensure system accuracy, reliability, and consistency
- Provide remote (phone) technical support to Field Service Representatives for hardware troubleshooting and test procedure execution
- Evaluate product specifications and vendor capabilities to support long-term product lifecycle planning
- Interface with project leaders, program managers, and customers to communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly
- Travel to Coast Guard sites as needed to support field activities
What you bring to the table:
- Experience with Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system maintenance and troubleshooting
- Experience leading engineering failure analysis, experimental testing, and results evaluation
- Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and mentor junior engineers and technicians
- Experience planning, modifying, and executing test procedures and data collection processes
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
- Ability to travel as needed (< 5% of the time)
What sets you apart:
- Troubleshooting mindset with the ability to multi-task
- Creative problem-solver who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment
- Proficiency with RF test equipment (e.g., Vector Network Analyzers, Spectrum Analyzers, Signal Sources, Power Meters, Communication Analyzers)
- Strong foundation in RF principles, including noise analysis, link budgets, antenna radiation pattern analysis, and propagation modeling
- Experience with radio interference analysis and mitigation
- Experience with MATLAB
- Familiarity with MS Access databases or SQL
- Proficiency with the MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio)
Why Join Us: Your expertise directly keeps a life-saving system running 24/7. You will own complex technical challenges, mentor a team, and know that the work you do today may save a life tomorrow.
- Work on a nationally deployed, mission-critical government system
- A team of bold thinkers committed to continuous learning and innovation
- Opportunities to grow your knowledge and technical leadership skills
Salary Note
This estimate represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors (geographic location, etc.). Actual pay may vary. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.Combined Salary Range
USD $112,924.00 - USD $125,275.00 /Yr.Company Overview
At General Dynamics Mission Systems, we rise to the challenge each day to ensure the safety of those that lead, serve, and protect the world we live in. We do this by making the world’s most advanced defense platforms even smarter. Our engineers redefine what’s possible and our manufacturing team brings it to life, building the brains behind the brawn on submarines, ships, combat vehicles, aircraft, satellites, and other advanced systems.
We pride ourselves in being a great place to work with this shared sense of purpose, committed to a diverse and exciting employee experience that drives innovation and creates a community where all feel welcome and a part of something amazing.
We offer highly competitive benefits and a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. To see more about our benefits, visit https://gdmissionsystems.com/careers/why-work-for-us/benefits
EOE/Disability/Veteran