Senior RF Design Engineer

Engineering Santa Rosa, California


Description

Mini-Circuits designs, manufactures and distributes integrated circuits, modules, and sub-systems for high-performance radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications. With design, sales and manufacturing locations in over 30 countries, Mini-Circuits’ products are used in a range of wired and wireless communications applications. Our products are also used in detection, measurement and imaging applications, including military communication, guidance and electronic countermeasure systems, commercial, scientific, military land, sea and aircraft; automotive systems, medical systems, and industrial test equipment.

Mini-Circuits’ sells its products to over 20,000 customers globally through our direct sales force, applications engineering staff, sales representatives, as well as through our extensive website.    

Position Summary:
The Sr. RF Design Engineer provides senior contribution to the company’s CATV MMIC Engineering Product development activities. This role will focus on delivering creative designs exceeding customer expectations and being highly manufacturable to agreed specifications within time and budget constraints.
The Sr. RF Design Engineer will periodically assist the Director of Product Line Engineering – CATV MMIC in crafting the strategy for the CATV MMIC business including the technical direction for the company, as well as directing the design and development of RF and Microwave discrete components blending theoretical emphasis with strong practical bench skills on power amplifiers for the CATV market from concept through production. This position has reporting responsibility to the Director of Product Line Engineering – CATV MMIC and is an integral part of our design team.
 
Salary Range: $147,000 - $221,000 per year
 
Job Function:
  • Design and develop RF & Microwave circuits, components, and sub-assemblies, in particular power amplifiers for the CATV market. Modify existing designs to improve performance, quality, manufacturability, production yields, cost, etc.
  • Accountable for implementing a device perturbation and sensitivity analysis process to insure highest possible production yields, meeting deadlines, and resolving performance issues along the way.
  • Develop design plans and determine design specifications based on customer objectives and requirements.
  • Develop performance criteria, including parasitic effects and process variations that affect performance of developed models.
  • Work with packaging engineers to develop and verify thermal models for various design options. Oversee trips to thermal measurement facilities to gather data.
  • Direct and manage the performance of the groups circuit & component analysis and simulation effort using industry MWO, ADS, HFSS and other CAD tools.
  • Research & utilize latest techniques & approaches, analyze user input, identify, and establish performance standards.  Develop process and procedures to verify and validate designs through simulations, tests, and reliability studies.
  • Oversee Multi-Project Wafers (MPW) reticles and associated designs are done in timely manner and ensure IC layouts are completed with clean DRC.  Train younger engineers in details of IC layout and reticle preparation.
  • Serve as technical support to Production & Marketing departments on new and existing designs.
  • Interface with MPE to develop new assembly processes for CATV amplifier products.
  • Support product engineering in preparation of application notes, technical articles & catalog specs for publication.
  • Support evaluation of components, materials & suppliers.
  • Participate in design review meetings.
  • Interface with sales, marketing and operations to bridge the gap with engineering.
  • Provide technical support directly to customers. Periodically travel to customer meetings.
  • Self-managed i.e. figure things out on your own.
  • Solve technical, operational and group issues.
  • Provide engineering execution excellence of design and development projects.
  • Ensure deadlines are met and team members are held accountable.
  • Provide guidance and execution on product road map.
Supervisory Responsibilities: 
  • Mentor junior technical staff.
  • Actively participate in design review meetings.
  • Provide technical vision and direction to ensure the development team is aligned with the strategy of the company.
The duties, responsibilities and expectations described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the member, within the scope of the position.
 
Qualifications:
  • MSEE with minimum of 5 years’ management experience
  • BSEE with minimum 10 years’ experience.
  • Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in CATV amplifier component design including RF bench experience.
  • Deep knowledge of RF amplifier distortion, measurement techniques, and mitigation approaches.
  • Ability to “Lead from the Bench” junior designers with demonstrated hands-on bench skills in RF disciplines, including fine soldering of SMT components, RF measurements, calibration techniques, and rapid prototyping. Ability to create designs and solutions across a multitude of daily challenges and ability to encourage and lead others in the same creative spirit.
  • Strong knowledge of circuit simulation concepts. Ability to merge theory with practice on the bench.
  • Professional and positive approach, self-motivated, strong in building relationships, team player, dynamic, creative with the ability to work on own initiative.
  • Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills.
  • Experience working for an ISO company that practices LEAN manufacturing.
  • “Out of the box thinker” must be key driver willing to take innovative product risk while balancing the road map for on time deliverables.
  • Strong relationship management, project management, problem solving and change management skills.
  • Manage diverse, simultaneous projects of varying complexities.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to operate a computer keyboard. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Requirements/Skills

  • Comply, understand, and support corporate safety initiatives to ensure a safe work environment.
  • Ability and willingness to abide by Company’s Code of Conduct.
  • Must be a US Citizen or US Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) due to ITAR compliance.

Disclaimer: The listed qualifications and requirements for each position are intended as guidelines.  Mini-Circuits reserves the right to hire outside of these guidelines at Management’s discretion.

Mini-Circuits is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, familial status, gender identity, gender dysphoria, pregnancy-related condition, and domestic violence victim status or protected class characteristic, or any other protected characteristic as established by federal or state law.