Senior Rf Test Engineer Jobs in Santa Ana, CA (NOW HIRING)

Who we are

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America's drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.

As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We're hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.

What you will be doing

As a Lead RF Test & Integration Engineer, you will own the qualification and production test strategy for the wireless systems that make Neros FPV drones work in the real world. You will lead RF validation for video and command-and-control links, build the test infrastructure that catches problems before they reach the field, and oversee NPI and manufacturing acceptance testing as products move from engineering prototypes into production. You will directly manage RF test engineers and technicians, set the technical bar for test execution, and partner with design engineering and manufacturing to close the loop between failures, root cause, corrective action, and production readiness.

Responsibilities

• Own RF qualification testing for FPV drone video links, command-and-control links, antennas, RF front ends, and integrated aircraft/ground systems
• Define validation plans, pass/fail criteria, test procedures, data review methods, and release gates for wireless subsystem qualification
• Lead NPI test readiness for new RF products, including EVT/DVT/PVT planning, fixture readiness, station bring-up, GR&R, and factory handoff
• Oversee manufacturing acceptance testing for RF assemblies and integrated products, including conducted RF tests, radiated tests, range/performance checks, and automated production test limits
• Build, improve, and scale RF test infrastructure using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters, SDRs, chambers/OTA setups, Python automation, and production test software
• Drive root-cause investigations for RF desense, interference, range degradation, yield loss, calibration drift, fixture issues, and field-return failures
• Manage and mentor a team of RF test engineers and technicians; set priorities, review technical work, and make sure testing is fast, rigorous, and repeatable
• Partner with RF design, electrical engineering, embedded software, manufacturing, supply chain, and quality to turn test results into design fixes and production controls

You should have the following

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, RF/Microwave Engineering, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of hands-on RF test, RF validation, RF systems, wireless hardware, or production test experience
• Experience qualifying wireless products or RF subsystems through engineering validation, design validation, production validation, or equivalent release processes
• Strong fundamentals in RF measurements: S-parameters, output power, EVM/BER/PER, sensitivity, noise figure, linearity, phase noise, spurious emissions, desense, coexistence, link budget, and antenna performance
• Hands-on experience with RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, VNAs, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes, SDRs, chambers/OTA setups, and automated test stations
• Experience building or maintaining automated test systems, ideally using Python or similar scripting tools
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineers and technicians, run test campaigns, prioritize work, review data, and communicate release risk to engineering and manufacturing leaders
• Strong understanding of DFT, production test limits, fixture validation, manufacturing yield, calibration, GR&R, and NPI handoff

Nice to have

• Drone RF systems: Experience testing wireless links on UAVs, FPV drones, and telemetry systems
• Video and C2 links: Experience validating digital video links, analog video links, LoRa command-and-control links, telemetry links, or mesh/point-to-point radio systems
• Manufacturing scale-up: Experience moving RF products from prototype into production, including factory test deployment, fixture design, operator instructions, yield analysis, and corrective action
• OTA and range testing: Experience with chamber testing, antenna pattern/radiated performance, conducted-to-radiated correlation, range tests, and real-world link margin validation

US Salary Range
$162,500 - $227,500 USD 

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.

We're an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.