Senior Test Engineer

Job Title: Senior Test Engineer (Radio Frequency)

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Relocation Opportunity)

A leading defence company based in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Test Engineer with strong expertise in RF systems, Software Defined Radio (SDR), Layer 1 testing, and test automation . This is a highly technical, hands-on role focused on the development, integration and end-to-end testing of advanced RF and radio communication systems within laboratory and field environments.

The successful candidate will have a strong telecommunications background and experience building test environments, developing automated test cases, integrating hardware and software, and evaluating RF system performance using industry-standard laboratory equipment.

Key responsibilities

• Translate system-level requirements into measurable test cases, verification procedures and acceptance criteria.
• Perform hands-on RF and Layer 1 / Physical Layer testing of SDR and radio communication systems.
• Conduct development-level, hardware/software integration and system integration testing to identify and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Execute end-to-end testing across laboratory and relevant field environments, producing detailed test reports and status updates.
• Develop and maintain automated test cases and test frameworks , primarily using Python and LabVIEW .
• Build and configure hardware and software test environments from scratch , including identifying and specifying required laboratory resources.
• Characterise and evaluate RF and SDR system performance , including EVM, Channel Power and other RF performance measurements.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues across RF, hardware and software interfaces .
• Support compliance, compatibility and system verification activities.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF, hardware, software, systems and telecommunications .

What we’re looking for

• 7–12 years of relevant engineering experience in RF, radio communications, SDR, testing or verification.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong background in telecommunications, wireless communication or radio systems .
• Proven hands-on experience with RF and Layer 1 / Physical Layer testing .
• Experience testing complete RF/SDR systems , including development-level, integration and end-to-end testing.
• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals and RF system performance .
• Practical experience measuring and analysing EVM, Channel Power and RF signal performance .
• Hands-on experience with laboratory equipment including spectrum analysers, network analysers, signal generators, channel simulators and oscilloscopes .
• Strong Python programming skills for test automation, with experience using LabVIEW .
• Experience developing automated test cases and test frameworks , rather than only executing predefined tests.
• Proven experience with hardware/software integration, troubleshooting and system debugging .
• Experience building and configuring laboratory test environments from scratch .

Ideal candidate

The successful candidate will combine strong RF fundamentals and telecommunications knowledge with practical experience testing SDR and radio communication systems at Layer 1 and system level .

They will be comfortable working hands-on with RF laboratory equipment, integrating hardware and software, developing automated testing solutions and troubleshooting complex system-level issues. Experience with Python, LabVIEW, RF measurements and laboratory environment development will be particularly valuable.