AeroPerch is building the ground infrastructure that autonomous drone fleets need to operate at scale. Today most drones fly short missions and return to where they started, because there is nowhere along the way to recharge or offload data. Our field-deployed nodes give drones a place to land, charge wirelessly, exchange data and keep flying, turning one-off flights into continuous operations. Our first customers are in energy and critical infrastructure, with agriculture, public safety and defense to follow.
About the team
We are a small, early team with backgrounds in defense, aerospace and technology. The hardware team owns the node end to end: the wireless charging system, power electronics, communications, enclosure and field integration. We move quickly from simulation to bench to field, and every engineer works hands-on across disciplines.
About the job
We are looking for a Senior RF Engineer to lead the communications side of our nodes. You will integrate the radios that connect our nodes to drones, operators and the airspace, and help build a network that works with a wide range of drones and radios.
What you'll do
- Select and integrate radios for drone command and control, data links and airspace awareness (ADS-B, Remote ID)
- Design antenna placement, cabling and RF front ends for a compact outdoor enclosure
- Run link budgets and range analysis for networks of nodes and drones
- Test RF performance in the lab and the field, and resolve coexistence and interference with the node's power electronics
- Support FCC certification and spectrum compliance
- Work with software engineers on the interfaces between radios and the node controller
Required qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
- 5+ years of RF engineering experience
- Demonstrated experience with antennas, link budgets and RF measurements (spectrum analyzer, VNA)
- Experience integrating commercial radio modules or data links into products
- Familiarity with FCC equipment authorization
- Field testing experience
- U.S. Person status is required, as this position requires access to export-controlled information
Preferred qualifications
- Drone data links, MANET or tactical radios
- ADS-B, Remote ID or aviation avionics
- EMI and EMC mitigation near high-power switching electronics
- Software-defined radio experience
- Cellular (LTE, 5G) or satellite connectivity integration
- Active security clearance
AeroPerch is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.