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Rf Drive Testing Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

Pae

Senior Electronics Technician

Springfield, VA · On-site

... convention and drive progress. Our commitments are underpinned by the belief that safety ... Extensive experience designing, building, testing, and troubleshooting RF electronic systems.

eSpace

Senior Engineering Technician

Arlington, VA · On-site

... and vibration testing practices * Partner closely with RF and systems engineers to support design iterations, provide build feedback, and help drive hardware from prototype to flight-ready ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsRf Drive Testing JobsRf Drive Testing Jobs in Washington, DC

Rf Drive Testing information

See Washington, DC salary details

$41.9K

$133.3K

$207.3K

How much do rf drive testing jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for rf drive testing in Washington, DC is $133,284.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $110,400.00 and $157,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is RF drive testing?

RF drive testing is the process of evaluating and measuring the performance of wireless networks by physically driving through specific routes with specialized equipment. This equipment collects data on signal strength, coverage, call quality, and other key parameters. The collected data helps network engineers identify issues such as dropped calls, weak signal areas, or interference, which are then used to optimize and improve network performance. RF drive testing is essential for ensuring reliable cellular service, especially during network rollout or upgrades.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an RF drive testing engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an RF Drive Testing Engineer, you need a strong grasp of wireless communication principles, RF propagation, and mobile network technologies, typically supported by an engineering degree in electronics, telecommunications, or a related field. Familiarity with drive test tools such as TEMS, NEMO, or Agilent, as well as proficiency with data analysis software and basic understanding of GIS systems, is crucial. Attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and effective communication help you excel in troubleshooting and collaborating with optimization teams. These skills ensure accurate data collection, analysis, and optimization, which are critical for maintaining high-quality mobile network performance.

What are some common challenges faced by RF drive test engineers during field testing, and how can they be overcome?

RF Drive Test Engineers often encounter challenges such as equipment malfunctions, inconsistent signal quality due to weather or terrain, and coordinating with local authorities for site access. To overcome these, it's essential to conduct thorough equipment checks before each test, plan routes that account for geographic and urban obstacles, and maintain clear communication with both the project team and local contacts. Flexibility and problem-solving skills are key in adapting to unexpected issues that can arise during fieldwork.

What is the difference between Rf Drive Testing vs Rf Field Testing?

AspectRf Drive TestingRf Field Testing
Work EnvironmentMobile, on-the-road testing using vehiclesStationary or on-site testing at specific locations
Required CredentialsRF knowledge, driving license, technical skillsRF knowledge, technical skills, often similar certifications
Industry UsageNetwork coverage validation, performance testingSignal quality assessment, troubleshooting

Rf Drive Testing involves mobile testing using vehicles to evaluate network performance across areas, while Rf Field Testing typically occurs at fixed locations for detailed signal analysis. Both roles require RF expertise and are essential for network optimization, but they differ mainly in mobility and testing environment.

What are the most commonly searched types of Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC?

The most popular types of Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC are:

What are popular job titles related to Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC?

For Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC look for?

The top searched job categories for Rf Drive Testing jobs in Washington, DC are:

Rf Drive Testing jobs near you
Infographic showing various Rf Drive Testing job openings in Washington, DC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, 22% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $133,284 per year, or $64.1 per hour.

Lead RF Systems Engineer (Tactical Comms / SDR / DSP)

Two Six Technologies

Herndon, VA

$147K - $171K/yr

Full-time

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

Overview of Opportunity 

Two Six Technologies is seeking a Lead RF Systems Engineer to lead technical strategy and software development for DSP/SDR tactical communications systems. In this role, you will drive architecture design, advanced algorithm development, testing, and hardware-in-the-loop validation to support cutting-edge R&D programs in Herndon, Virginia. As a lead / principal engineer, you will serve as a technical authority-shaping modern RF architectures, guiding lab infrastructure strategy, selecting core SDR platforms, and mentoring multi-disciplinary engineering teams. The primary focus of this role is terrestrial communications systems, RF signal reverse engineering, tactical waveform synthesis, and electronic warfare (EW) resilient communications across HF, VHF, and UHF bands.

What you will do (Responsibilities):

  • Lead Architecture & Strategy: Architect, design, and implement advanced SDR and DSP solutions for terrestrial tactical radios (HF/VHF/UHF) in a Linux environment.
  • Protocol & Waveform Reverse Engineering: Reverse engineer complex terrestrial COTS and proprietary RF devices to map transceiver logic, demodulate legacy/custom tactical waveforms, and extract framing parameters.
  • Waveform Synthesis & Generation: Synthesize and generate custom tactical RF waveforms based on reverse-engineered signal parameters, including frequency-hopping, direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), and low probability of intercept/detection (LPI/LPD) signals.
  • Terrestrial Signal Processing: Develop algorithms to detect, identify, feature-extract, and decode captured complex tactical communications signals operating in harsh multipath and co-channel interference environments.
  • Modulation & Transceiver Pipeline: Implement end-to-end transmit/receive signal chains using foundational and complex modulation schemes (e.g., FSK, PSK, QAM).
  • Lab Leadership & Testing: Direct laboratory build-outs, select advanced SDR hardware and test gear, and execute field or lab-based RF experimentation to validate synthesized tactical signals.
  • Domain Problem Solving: Solve high-level technical challenges across tactical communications, signal intelligence (SIGINT), spectrum management, and electronic warfare (EW/EA/EP) domains.
  • Technical Mentorship & Expertise: Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in HF/VHF/UHF propagation, signal generation, and DSP, guiding cross-functional teams in a rapid-prototyping environment.

What you will need (Basic Qualifications):

  • Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required 
  • Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or equivalent practical, military, or intelligence community experience.
  • Minimum 8 years of hands-on experience in Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Software Defined Radio (SDR), and RF communications development (including technical lead/architecture roles).
  • Deep knowledge of terrestrial RF communications systems, channel dynamics, and signal structures across the HF, VHF, and UHF bands.
  • Extensive experience in RF reverse engineering, signal parameter estimation, protocol disassembly, and target waveform regeneration.
  • Proven track record architecting software-driven DSP pipelines (C++, Python, GNU Radio, or REDHAWK) with an emphasis on real-time signal processing.

Nice if you have (Preferred):

  • Tactical Radio Protocols: Familiarity with modern military and public safety tactical radio standards, waveforms, and networking protocols (e.g., MIL-STD-188-110, STANAG, SINCGARS, HAVE QUICK, P25, MANET/mesh networking).
  • Propagation & Channel Modeling: Strong understanding of terrestrial RF phenomena, including ground-wave/sky-wave HF propagation, urban multipath fading, troposcatter, and Doppler spread mitigation.
  • Advanced EW & Anti-Jamming: Experience with Electronic Warfare (EW) countermeasures, anti-jam (AJ) techniques, LPI/LPD waveform design, and adaptive filtering/interference mitigation.
  • Firmware Analysis: Experience with reverse engineering tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, or binary analysis frameworks for embedded tactical radio firmware.
  • Communications Theory: Deep expertise in FEC (Convolutional, Turbo, LDPC), Viterbi/Reed-Solomon decoding, interleaving, frame synchronization, and equalization algorithms.

Security Clearance:

  • Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility required.

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