Senior RF Engineer

Who we are

Helsing develops artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities to protect and defend democracies.

 We are growing our US operations, cultivating an ambitio

u

s and committed team of mission-driven professionals to apply their skills to solve challenging problems.

The role

AI-driven, autonomous systems cannot replace human decision making. To keep the human in the loop, communication to remote unmanned vehicles is crucial. As an RF Engineer for Communications and Networking, you will work in one of the most contested domains of the modern battlefield: 

the electromagnetic spectrum

.

You will design, develop, and deploy advanced datalink systems for UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS communications, including point-to-point and mesh network architectures. Your work will ensure robust, encrypted communications links for UAS operating in non-cooperative and contested environments, directly supporting mission-critical operations for US customers.

You will own radio communication end-to-end as part of new product design and iterations on existing systems. You make pragmatic decisions when to integrate available solutions and when to develop new capabilities that shape the contested environment of the frontline RF space. Working closely with systems engineers, avionics teams, and customer-facing program managers, you will be the key to ensuring the right decision can be made at the right time.

The day-to-day

• Design and develop

   UAS-to-ground and UAS-to-UAS datalink architectures, including point-to-point and mesh network topologies for resilient communications 

• Develop robust, encrypted communication links

   for UAS operating in non-cooperative, contested, and denied environments 

• Integrate tactical C2 networks

   with UAS platforms, including systems such as IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System), Tactical Scalable Mesh (TSM), and other military communication standards 

• Stay on top of the market

   and ever-changing battlefield situations to identify existing, promising, or missing RF solutions 

• Test, validate, and integrate

   radio systems into newly developed and existing products, working against customer and internal requirements to build reliable radio solutions 

• Obtain US FCC spectrum approvals

   and manage frequency coordination for testing and operational use in US regulatory environments

• Collaborate with governmental bodies

   to get permissions for licensed bands and power outputs to test and demonstrate modern radio systems in regulated RF domains 

• Design and implement

   Software Defined Radio (SDR) solutions, working with RF frontends, modem implementations, and application interfaces 

• Conduct RF link budget analysis

   and performance modeling to ensure datalink reliability across operational ranges and environments

• Work with external partners

   to access specialized equipment and build up internal lab capabilities for commonly executed tests 

• Shape discussions

   inside the company as a go-to expert for radio communications and serve as a technical authority for US customer engagements 

You should apply if you

• Hold a 

  degree in Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, RF Engineering, or a related field

• Have 

  several years of experience

   designing and deploying military datalinks, mesh networks, or tactical communications systems

• Possess 

  deep knowledge of military and civil communication technologies

  , including Software Defined Radios, data links, air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, mesh networking protocols (e.g., MANET), network management, and secure communications 

• Have 

  experience integrating UAS with tactical C2 networks

   and understand military communication architectures and interoperability standards

• Demonstrate 

  strong understanding

   of how radio technology works and where its limitations lie 

• Have experience with 

  US FCC spectrum management

  , frequency allocation processes, and compliance with US regulatory requirements

• Possess knowledge of 

  RF link design

  , including antenna design, propagation modeling, and link budget analysis

• Understand 

  encryption and cybersecurity

   requirements for military communications, including AES-256 and other COMSEC standards 

• Have 

  strong communication skills

   and enjoy working with internal stakeholders and external companies, including US government agencies and defense contractors 

• Are 

  pragmatic

   and validate calculated expectations in the real world to be satisfied 

Note: We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarized in a few bullet points.

Nice to Have

• Designed, built, and evaluated

   custom antennas for airborne platforms 

• Built, worked on, or implemented

   a Software Defined Radio solution 

• Experience with 

  specific tactical datalinks

   such as Link 16, JREAP, CDL (Common Data Link), or Cursor-on-Target (CoT)

• Familiarity with 

  Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANET)

   and dynamic mesh routing protocols 

• Knowledge of 

  Electronic Warfare (EW)

   techniques, anti-jam waveforms, and LPI/LPD (Low Probability of Intercept/Detection) communications

• Experience with 

  spectrum analyzers

   and RF test equipment for pre-flight checks and interference mitigation 

• Understanding of 

  MIMO, OFDM, OFDMA

   transmission schemes and beamforming techniques 

• Experience working with 

  Silvus, Persistent Systems (MPU5), or similar tactical radio systems

• Knowledge of 

  NATO STANAG communication standards

   and interoperability requirements

• Familiarity with 

  ITAR/EAR

   export control regulations related to communications equipment

• Experience in the 

  defense industry or contested RF environments

Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields

• Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

• The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world

• Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defense industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward

• In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts

• We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practice responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about

What we offer

• A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

• A generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to base salary) that includes, but may not be limited to, insurance coverage (medical and travel), flexible paid time off, paid holidays, and remote and/or hybrid work available depending on position. All compensation and benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the underlying plans or programs, as applicable and as may be amended, terminated or superseded from time to time.

• Growth toward global roles in our Finance organization

The base salary offered to the successful candidate will be determined by a variety of factors including relevant experience, qualifications, education, skill level, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.  

Helsing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.  

Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.

Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found here.