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RF & Payloads

Research Engineer Senior – RF (Part-Time)

BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems logoBAE Systems Space & Mission Systems$97,008–$164,914/yrWestminster, Colorado, United StatesPart-timePosted 1w ago

How this pay compares

This posting states $97k–$165k a year. Open RF engineer jobs in Colorado post a median of $158k a year, the middle half $131k–$204k, across 49 jobs that state their pay, so this one is within the middle half of what they post.

RF and communications engineers in Colorado: pay by town and employer

About the job

</br><b>Job Description </b></br><p><strong>Research Engineer Senior – RF (Part-Time)</strong><br><br>BAE Systems is seeking a highly experienced RF engineer, ideally an academic researcher or professor, to support the technical growth and long‑term development of our expanding engineering team.

This part‑time expert will play a critical role in mentoring junior engineers, developing and delivering targeted RF educational content, and contributing to advanced antenna and electromagnetic concept development supporting BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems (SMS) business.<br><br>With a rapidly growing staff and limited senior engineering bandwidth, this role will serve as a dedicated technical mentor and subject‑matter expert, helping ensure our engineers gain strong foundations in electromagnetics, RF design, microwave systems, metamaterials, and related technologies critical to BAE Systems programs.<br><br><br>This position is designed to elevate the technical strength of BAE Systems’ engineering workforce through hands‑on mentorship and infusion of cutting‑edge RF/electromagnetics expertise.

By supporting both staff development and novel concept exploration, this role helps accelerate design cycles, improve technical rigor, and support innovation within SMS.<br><br>The Engineering, Science and Analysis (ESA) Strategic Capabilities Unit comprises the technical talent and organizational leadership that enables the successful delivery of high-impact discriminating technologies for our customers’ missions.

Our collaborative, cross-functional teams are committed to innovation, integrity, continual learning and strong execution. <br><br><strong>What You’ll Do:</strong></p> <ul><li>Technical Mentorship & Staff Development<ul><li>Provide structured and ad‑hoc mentorship to junior and mid‑level engineers across electromagnetics, RF engineering, microwave design, and antenna theory.</li><li>Develop and deliver training modules, short courses, or workshops rooted in modern EM analysis techniques.</li><li>Guide engineers through complex design and analysis challenges, helping them adopt methods appropriate to BAE Systems customer needs.</li><li>Support establishment of internal best practices and knowledge‑sharing frameworks.</li></ul></li><li>Research & Novel Concept Development<ul><li>Contribute to ideation, analysis, and modeling of novel RF and antenna concepts relevant to next‑generation sensing, metasurfaces, and nonlinear or space‑time modulated electromagnetic structures.</li><li>Collaborate with BAE Systems senior engineers to advance research threads aligned with SMS technology roadmaps.</li><li>Advise on advanced EM structures, reconfigurable surfaces, and high‑dimensional EM optimization approaches.</li></ul></li><li>Technical Consultation<ul><li>Provide expert insight into challenging EM problems, offering rigorous approaches grounded in modern analysis and computational EM techniques.</li><li>Review and advise on electromagnetic modeling, antenna concepts, radar signal propagation, nonlinear transmission lines, or other relevant technologies.</li></ul></li><li>Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.</li><li>Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company.

Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.</li><li>Perform other duties as necessary.</li></ul> <p><strong>On-Site Work Environment:</strong> This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location.

Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.<br><br><strong>Working Conditions:</strong></p> <ul><li>Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.</li><li>May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.</li><li>May access other facilities in various weather conditions.</li><li>This is a part-time position.</li></ul> <p><strong>Expected Time Commitment: </strong>This is a part‑time role with flexible scheduling, expected to align with academic calendars if the candidate is a current faculty member.

Typical availability patterns may include:</p><ul><li>Summer (May–August): 8 hours/week.</li><li>Academic Year (September–April): 1–2 hours/week baseline, with weekly variation up to 4–8 hours depending on teaching load and project needs.

Exact commitment will be tailored to the candidate’s availability and BAE Systems project schedules.</li></ul></br></br><b>Required Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><ul><li>BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 4 or more years related experience. </li><li>Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience.

Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education.

Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education. </li><li>Demonstrated expertise in space‑time modulated structures, advanced EM analysis, periodic structures, or nonlinear RF systems.</li><li>Excellent record of teaching or mentorship, ideally at the university level, with experience delivering advanced EM coursework (fields/waves, metamaterials, computational EM, microwave measurements, etc.).</li><li>Proven ability to guide teams in solving high‑complexity EM challenges.</li></ul><span style="color:#ffffff;">#LI-MF1</span><p>A security clearance or access with Polygraph is not required to be eligible for this position.

However, the applicant must be willing and eligible for submission, depending on program requirements, after an offer is accepted and must be able to maintain the applicable clearance/access. </p></br></br><b>Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills </b></br><div style="margin-bottom:11px"><ul><li>Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or closely related field with emphasis in electromagnetics, RF engineering, microwave systems, or metamaterials.</li><li>Experience working with or advising industry partners on complex EM or RF product development.</li><li>Background in antenna design, metasurface synthesis, radar‑related EM analysis, or remote sensing.</li><li>Recognized contributions to the EM research community (awards, publications, funded programs).</li></ul></div><br><br><b>Pay Information</b><br>Full-Time Salary Range: $97008 - $164914<br><br>Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures.

However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience. <br><br>Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being.

Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance.

Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards.

Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.<br></br></br><b>About BAE Systems, Inc.</b></br>BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defens

From BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.

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About BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems

Spacecraft, instruments and mission systems from the former Ball Aerospace, now inside BAE Systems.

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