Engineering Manager - RF Hardware

Engineering Manager – RF Hardware Denver, CO Our rapidly scaling Space client is seeking an Engineering Manager – RF Hardware to lead the development and execution of advanced RF electronics across a broad portfolio of space and airborne communication systems. This is a highly technical leadership role responsible for driving engineering excellence, design consistency, and scalable hardware development in a fast-paced environment supporting next-generation communications platforms.

The successful candidate will lead RF hardware teams across multiple product lines and locations while remaining hands-on in critical design, review, integration, and debug activities. The role combines technical leadership, people management, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure high-quality RF hardware is delivered on schedule and transitioned successfully into production.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead RF hardware engineering activities across multiple programmes and product lines.
• Establish and improve RF hardware development processes, standards, and best practices.
• Drive board-level and system-level RF hardware design activities.
• Participate in schematic reviews, layout reviews, and system integration efforts.
• Support RF debug, troubleshooting, and root cause investigations during development and production.
• Ensure hardware designs meet design-for-manufacturability (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) requirements.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, supply chain, quality, firmware, mechanical, and systems engineering teams.
• Lead hiring, mentoring, coaching, and performance management for RF engineering teams.
• Support technical planning, staffing strategies, and programme execution activities.
• Contribute to RF component strategy, supplier management, and long-term technology planning.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 7+ years of RF hardware engineering experience with leadership or management exposure.
• Strong experience with RF board-level and system-level hardware development.
• Knowledge of RF architectures, signal integrity, and RF component selection.
• Experience with RF simulation and analysis tools such as ADS, HFSS, CST, or equivalent.
• Understanding of power electronics, digital electronics, firmware interactions, and mechanical integration.
• Experience supporting hardware products from development through manufacturing transition.
• Familiarity with PCB design tools, schematic capture, and engineering review processes.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced aerospace, defense, or high-reliability engineering environment.

Desirable Experience

• Aerospace, satellite communications, defense, phased array, or high-frequency communications experience.
• Experience scaling engineering teams in a rapidly growing organization.
• Familiarity with production environments, supply chain collaboration, and hardware productization.