Senior/Staff RF Systems Engineer

Santa Cruz, CA; Marina, CA eVTOL Full-time $140k to $234k Posted Sep 30, 2026
Apply on Joby Aviation (opens in a new tab) Sourced via careers-jobyaviation.icims.com · Posted 2026-09-30

About this role

Joby Aviation is hiring a Senior/Staff RF Systems Engineer, full-time, on-site in Santa Cruz, CA; Marina, CA, in the eVTOL sector.

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby is seeking a talented RF Systems Engineer to join our radio team. This engineer will collaborate with software, hardware, system engineers, and other cross-functional teams to build, analyze and improve radio systems performance. The radio team covers RF support for traditional avionics systems used in production aircraft, and flight test telemetry systems used in the development and test phase. This is a hands-on and in-person position that combines desk-based forward thinking strategy with real time on-site engineering, technical execution, and testing. This position is based either at our HQ in Santa Cruz, CA or at our test facility in Marina, CA (near Monterey).

Responsibilities

Utilize in-depth understanding of RF/antenna systems including microwave telemetry, SatCom, cellular LTE networks and UHF radio equipment operation to design, implement, integrate, test and validate performance of the radio systems on our eVTOL aircraft

Use source/victim testing and other methods to assure the coexistence of all flight critical radio systems

Utilize advanced data analysis tools such as Grafana, Databricks and custom tooling to examine flight test data for anomalies, patterns, and potentially flight blocking issues

Troubleshoot and resolve impairments and performance issues that occur during integration, bench test, and flight test

Perform computer aided antenna engineering and system design using Ansys HFSS (or similar)

Predict antenna radiation patterns and antenna-to-antenna coupling scenarios

Design, develop, certify and integrate next-generation conformal antennas to replace blade antennas

Specify and implement test equipment to be used in the production environment as part of the manufacturing process

Inspect, configure, and troubleshoot radio hardware and antennas on the fleet of Joby aircraft and supporting ground equipment.

Hands-on, in-person involvement at test sites, up to one week per month

Required

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience

8+ years of experience developing and/or deploying RF and radio systems

Experience as a team lead, manager, or mentor of engineers

Understanding of communications systems, associated SW algorithms and their design, including C2 source selection, signal modulation/demodulation and error correction, RF signal acquisition, RF gain control (AGC), and antenna performance.

Operational understanding of aviation radio equipment including VHF communication, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR), ILS (LOC + GS), Radar Altimeter

US Citizen or Permanent US Resident

Desired

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

10+ years of experience developing and/or deploying RF and radio systems

Experience managing a team of RF Engineers in self-directed projects

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $139,500 - $234,500/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Description from Joby Aviation's official posting. Always confirm details on the company careers page.

Apply on Joby Aviation Applications go directly to Joby Aviation. Curated by Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation

eVTOL air taxi developer with FAA Part 135 certification and Toyota partnership. Santa Cruz, CA.

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Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Larry Sherwood Jr.

Talent Acquisition Leader specializing in mobility, EV, and frontier tech. 1,000+ hires across roles ranging from production technicians to VPs, including 48 hires for the AFEELA U.S. launch at Sony Honda Mobility (98% offer acceptance, $1.5M+ agency savings). SHRM-CP certified. Build recruiting functions from scratch, no agencies.

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