RF Test and Calibration Engineer

Quartermaster

RF Test and Calibration Engineer focusing on calibration capabilities for radio systems at Quartermaster AI. Responsible for establishing test infrastructure and defining procedures for enhanced production quality.

Posted 4/13/2026full-timeArlington • Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLeadWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

SaltStack

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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.
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.
Participate in hardware design reviews. Define testability requirements, component tolerance specs for our radio systems, peripheral hardware (e.g. GPSDOs), and custom assemblies.
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.
Measure and validate timing accuracy, latency, and phase coherence across the full system. Document performance margins against system requirements.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Maintain calibration records, test data packages, and qualification documentation to support internal quality processes and customer/program requirements.

Requirements

What you’ll need

7+ years of hands-on RF testbench experience in a production, defense, or advanced development environment.
Deep proficiency with RF test equipment: VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, channel emulators, power meters, and associated calibration standards.
Demonstrated experience building or managing a calibration program—not just using calibrated equipment.
Experience writing, owning, and executing Acceptance Test Procedures for production hardware.
Strong working knowledge of RF system performance parameters: gain, noise figure, IIP3, phase noise, VSWR, spurious emissions.
Hands-on experience with GPS-disciplined oscillators or other precision timing references.
Proven ability to evaluate, qualify, and manage external calibration labs or test contractors.
US citizenship required.
Must be eligible to obtain/maintain a security clearance.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible working hours with occasional deadlines requiring high availability
Opportunity to work on innovative projects with a global impact

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

RF testbench experiencecalibration program managementAcceptance Test Procedures (ATPs)RF system performance parametersGPS-disciplined oscillatorstiming accuracy measurementenvironmental qualificationincoming inspection criteriatest data documentationfailure mode analysis

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationorganizational skillscollaborationproblem-solving

Certifications

security clearance eligibility