Chief RF Engineer

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Description

Test and Measurement Systems, also known as NI, Product R&D is seeking a Chief RF Engineer to join our RF R&D team in Santa Rosa, CA. In this high-visibility role, you will lead the technical direction and evolution of next-generation, high-frequency RF/microwave hardware and subsystems of test and measurement equipment. This role is responsible for driving high‑impact architectural and technical decisions to ensure long‑term competitiveness, performance, and reuse across platforms.

You bring strong initiative and judgment to complex and ambiguous challenges, anticipate long‑term implications of design decisions on the larger portfolio, and influence outcomes through technical depth, clarity, and trust. You selectively engage in deep technical work on the most critical problems while guiding teams toward robust, scalable solutions. You contribute your perspective as a technical leader and RF subject matter expert to corporate initiatives to continuously improve and scale our engine

IN THIS ROLE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL BE:

RF Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Provide architectural oversight and technical direction on complex designs, intervening directly on critical challenges wh en needed

• Influence design decisions through data-driven analysis, simulation, and empirical results

• Guide RF/microwave designs (e.g. front ends, LO/PLL, filters, mixers, PAs/LNAs, switches/couplers) to meet specifications and acceptance criteria.

• Perform feasibility assessment of emerging technologies through research, prototyping, early modeling, and rapid experimentation.
• Drive concepts through prototyping, development, V&V, compliance (EMC/safety, RoHS/REACH), NPI, and sustaining activities with minimal oversight—determining methods and procedures for new assignments.

• Lead and review advanced RF system modeling, troubleshooting, and simulation‑to‑measurement correlation (e.g., LTspice, Ansys Designer, SI/PI simulation).

• Assess system‑level performance including sensing paths, signal conditioning, and inter‑device interfaces (SPI, I²C) when applicable to RF subsystems.

• Review and strengthen test strategies, validation approaches, and design rigor are applied consistently across project teams

• Mentor other engineers, guide design reviews, and promote consistent engineering rigor across the team. Apply or support design controls, risk analysis, and robust documentation.

• Build strong cross‑functional relationships, influencing decisions through well‑supported technical rationale.

• Occasional domestic/international travel (up to 10%) to support supplier builds, customer evaluations, or factory activities.

Product Development Technical Lead

• Technical Lead for selected product development projects, owning the integrated technical direction from concept through release while partnering with project management on scope, schedule, cost, resource, and risk planning. Ensure technical direction aligns with product roadmaps, emerging technologies, customer needs, and business priorities

• Owns cross-discipline technical alignment across Mechanical, Analog, RF, Digital, Calibration, Driver, System, Test, and other contributing functions to ensure project-level design decisions are coherent, traceable, and executable.

• Drive requirements management for assigned projects, including translation of product and customer needs into unambiguous and nonconflicting system, subsystem, and discipline-level requirements, specifications, acceptance criteria, and verification traceability.

• Drive project-level technical risk management by identifying risks, defining mitigation plans, and ensuring risks are communicated clearly for decision making.

• Owns V&V strategy for assigned projects, ensuring test plans, coverage, evidence, and closure criteria demonstrate that requirements are met across all relevant disciplines.

Portfolio Architecture & Technical Strategy

• Support RF architecture definition across product lines, ensuring consistency, scalability, and reuse of designs and approaches

• Provide subject matter expertise for multiple areas as an independent reviewer for multiple portfolio projects

• Identify and drive architectural investments, technology transitions, and design standards that improve long‑term product performance and development efficiency

• Resolve complex, cross-team tradeoffs involving performance, cost, manufacturability, schedule, and intangibles such as brand value and IP

• Anticipate future technology trends and assess applicability to the RF Test portfolio through targeted research and prototyping

WHO YOU ARE: You pick up on the need to change personal, interpersonal, and leadership behavior quickly. You find and champion the best creative ideas and actively move them into implementation. You persist in the face of challenges and setbacks. You adjust communication content and style to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. You are decisive and make high-quality decisions, even when based on incomplete information or in the face of uncertainty.

FOR THIS ROLE, YOU WILL NEED:

• 12+ years with a Bachelors in EE/ECE; OR 10+ with adan vanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.)

• Proven experience designing, simulating, verifying, and releasing RF circuits/subsystems using industry‑standard tools.

• Mastery with RF instrumentation (VNA, spectrum/signal analyzers, vector generators, oscilloscopes).

• Ability to troubleshoot, simulate, and resolve embedded or mixed‑signal issues at the board/system level.

• Programming or scripting proficiency (Python required; MATLAB/LabVIEW beneficial).

• Excellent communication, critical thinking, and technical decision‑making abilities; demonstrated ability to lead through influence and mentor engineers.

• Demonstrated research and prototyping to assess emerging technologies and de‑risk architectures.

• Experience with end‑to‑end ownership from concept to ramp; DFM/DFT/NPI and supplier engagement experience.

• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now and in the future
  • Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1 (including those with OPT or CPT), H-1, H-2, L-1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire. MUST be US Citizen or possess a Green Card

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS THAT SET YOU APART:

• Expertise in SI/PI for mixed‑signal RF boards; grounding/shielding best practices and robust layout for isolation and stability.
• Working knowledge of requirements management, risk management, and project planning.
• Familiarity with regulatory and material/compliance constraints (e.g., EMC/safety, IEEE, MIL, RoHS/REACH) relevant to our markets.
• Test and Measurement industry experience

Our Culture & Commitment to You

We recognize that for our organization to support a diverse workforce, we must focus on employee wellbeing. We know that to do your best work, you must have flexible, competitive benefit plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a market-leading 401(k) and profit-sharing plan, a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, family formation benefits in addition to paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), Employee Assistance Program, tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture prioritizes work-life balance and offers flexible time off plans, inclusive of vacation, holiday, and sick leave. Our goal is to offer a strong benefits foundation while allowing employees the flexibility to choose options that best suit their needs.

At Emerson, we are committed to fostering a culture where every employee is valued and respected for their unique experiences and perspectives. We believe a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to the rich exchange of ideas and diversity of thoughts, that inspires innovation and brings the best solutions to our customers.

This philosophy is fundamental to living our company’s values and our responsibility to leave the world in a better place.

Our training programs and initiatives focus on end-to-end development, from onboarding through senior leadership. We provide a wide range of development opportunities, including face-to-face and virtual training, mentorship and coaching, project management, and on-the-job training.

Our compensation philosophy is simple: we pay a competitive base salary, within the local market in which we operate, and reward performance during our annual merit review process. The salary/pay range for this role is $180,872--$248,700 annually + bonuses, commensurate with the skills, talent, capabilities, and experience each candidate brings to a role.

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