Senior RF Engineer

About this role

Who we are

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies. We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitio u s and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems.

The role

AI-driven, autonomous systems cannot replace human decision making. To keep the human in the loop, communication to remote unmanned vehicles is crucial. As an RF Engineer for Communications and Networking, you will work in one of the most contested domains of the modern battlefield: the electromagnetic spectrum .

You will design, develop, and deploy advanced datalink systems for UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS communications, including point-to-point and mesh network architectures. Your work will ensure robust, encrypted communications links for UAS operating in non-cooperative and contested environments, directly supporting mission-critical operations for US customers.

You will own radio communication end-to-end as part of new product design and iterations on existing systems. You make pragmatic decisions when to integrate available solutions and when to develop new capabilities that shape the contested environment of the frontline RF space. Working closely with systems engineers, avionics teams, and customer-facing program managers, you will be the key to ensuring the right decision can be made at the right time.

The day-to-day

• Design and develop UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS datalink architectures, including point-to-point and mesh network topologies for resilient communications

• Develop robust, encrypted communication links for UAS operating in non-cooperative, contested, and denied environments

• Integrate tactical C2 networks with UAS platforms, including systems such as IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System), Tactical Scalable Mesh (TSM), and other military communication standards

• Stay on top of the market and ever-changing battlefield situations to identify existing, promising, or missing RF solutions

• Test, validate, and integrate radio systems into newly developed and existing products, working against customer and internal requirements to build reliable radio solutions

• Obtain US FCC spectrum approvals and manage frequency coordination for testing and operational use in US regulatory environments

• Collaborate with governmental bodies to get permissions for licensed bands and power outputs to test and demonstrate modern radio systems in regulated RF domains

• Design and implement Software Defined Radio (SDR) solutions, working with RF frontends, modem implementations, and application interfaces

• Conduct RF link budget analysis and performance modeling to ensure datalink reliability across operational ranges and environments

• Work with external partners to access specialized equipment and build up internal lab capabilities for commonly executed tests

• Shape discussions inside the company as a go-to expert for radio communications and serve as a technical authority for US customer engagements

You should apply if you

• Hold a degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related field

• Have several years of experience designing and deploying military datalinks, mesh networks, or tactical communications systems

• Possess deep knowledge of military and civil communication technologies , including Software Defined Radios, data links, air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, mesh networking protocols (e.g., MANET), network management, and secure communications

• Have experience integrating UAS with tactical C2 networks and understand military communication architectures and interoperability standards

• Demonstrate strong understanding of how radio technology works and where its limitations lie

• Have experience with US FCC spectrum management , frequency allocation processes, and compliance with US regulatory requirements

• Possess knowledge of RF link design , including antenna design, propagation modeling, and link budget analysis

• Understand encryption and cybersecurity requirements for military communications, including AES-256 and other COMSEC standards

• Have strong communication skills and enjoy working with internal stakeholders and external companies, including US government agencies and defense contractors

• Are pragmatic and validate calculated expectations in the real world to be satisfied

Note: We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points.

Nice to Have

• Designed, built, and evaluated custom antennas for airborne platforms

• Built, worked on, or implemented a Software Defined Radio solution

• Experience with specific tactical datalinks such as Link 16, JREAP, CDL (Common Data Link), or Cursor-on-Target (CoT)

• Familiarity with Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET) and dynamic mesh routing protocols

• Knowledge of Electronic Warfare (EW) techniques, anti-jam waveforms, and LPI/LPD (Low Probability of Intercept/Detection) communications

• Experience with spectrum analyzers and RF test equipment for pre-flight checks and interference mitigation

• Understanding of MIMO, OFDM, OFDMA transmission schemes and beamforming techniques

• Experience working with Silvus, Persistent Systems (MPU5), or similar tactical radio systems

• Knowledge of NATO STANAG communication standards and interoperability requirements

• Familiarity with ITAR/EAR export control regulations related to communications equipment

• Experience in the defense industry or contested RF environments

Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields

• Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

• The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safe

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