RF Test and Calibration Engineer

Role Overview:

Quartermaster AI is seeking an experienced RF Test, Calibration, and Production engineer with deep technical and hands-on experience working with high performance productized radio systems.

You will build Quartermaster’s antenna and radio system calibration capability (in-house or contracted), stand up test infrastructure at our headquarters and remote sites, and feed design-for-test requirements back into hardware development. You know what a production RF test lab needs, what it costs, and what breaks at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• Calibration program ownership: Establish NIST-traceable (or equivalent) calibration capability for Matsu SDR systems. Define procedures, select equipment, and set up an in-house lab or manage contract labs end to end.

• Test infrastructure: Design, build, and maintain RF test infrastructure at our Northern Virginia office and future remote/vessel deployment sites. Own the equipment inventory, maintenance cycles, operational readiness, and coordination with hardware and software teams.

• Design-for-test input: Participate in hardware design reviews. Define testability requirements, component tolerance specs for our radio systems, peripheral hardware (e.g. GPSDOs), and custom assemblies.

• Automated acceptance testing: Develop and own Acceptance Test Procedures (ATPs) for execution by technicians for medium to high volume production runs. Automate where practical; define pass/fail criteria that catch previous and potential failure modes.

• Timing and signal chain characterization: Measure and validate timing accuracy, latency, and phase coherence across the full system. Document performance margins against system requirements.

• Component and subsystem validation: Lead calibration and characterization of system components, including GNSS hardware, antenna patterns, and more. Define the measurements, execute or delegate, and own the traceability records.

• Environmental testing: Define and execute (or outsource) environmental qualification: maritime vibration, temperature/humidity cycling, salt spray. Coordinate with hardware engineers to know the applicable standards and when to apply them.

• Vendor qualification: Establish incoming inspection criteria for RF components. Own the qualification process for primary vendors and other supply chain partners. Flag reliability risks before they reach production.

• Industry intelligence: Leverage your network in RF test, calibration, and defense hardware to identify what fails at scale. Bring that knowledge into design and procurement decisions early.

• Traceability documentation: Maintain calibration records, test data packages, and qualification documentation to support internal quality processes and customer/program requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• RF Testbench Experience: 7+ years of hands-on RF testbench experience in a production, defense, or advanced development environment.

• RF Test Equipment Proficiency: Deep proficiency with RF test equipment: VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, channel emulators, power meters, and associated calibration standards.

• Calibration Program Management: Demonstrated experience building or managing a calibration program—not just using calibrated equipment.

• Acceptance Test Procedures (ATPs): Experience writing, owning, and executing Acceptance Test Procedures for production hardware.

• RF System Performance Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of RF system performance parameters: gain, noise figure, IIP3, phase noise, VSWR, spurious emissions.

• Precision Timing References: Hands-on experience with GPS-disciplined oscillators or other precision timing references.

• Vendor Management: Proven ability to evaluate, qualify, and manage external calibration labs or test contractors.

• Citizenship Requirement: US citizenship required.

• Must be eligible to obtain/maintain a security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience building a test lab from scratch - equipment selection, facility layout, processes, staffing.

• Background in sensing systems, maritime hardware, or defense RF systems.

• Familiarity with SDR platforms.

• Experience with environmental testing standards.

• Vendor management or supply chain qualification experience in an RF context.

• Established network of contacts in RF test, calibration, and defense electronics.

Work Environment:

• Flexible working hours with occasional deadlines requiring high availability.

• Opportunity to work on innovative projects with a global impact.