Communications Engineer

Position Summary

Blue Ops designs, builds, and fields autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for defense and national security customers. We are seeking a hands-on, mid-level Communications Engineer to support the design, integration, troubleshooting, testing, and fielding of vessel and ground-control communications systems.

This role is well suited for an engineer with an electrical engineering, RF communications, networking, or related technical background who enjoys working across wireless links, IP networks, embedded computers, and physical hardware. The successful candidate will work directly with RF radios, antennas, satellite terminals, cellular modems, routers, managed switches, and onboard communications equipment.

The focus of this position is reliable connectivity between vessels, ground-control stations, and supporting infrastructure. This engineer will configure and validate communications paths for command and control, telemetry, video, radar, and other payload data; isolate failures across RF links and network interfaces; and drive issues through verification and resolution.

This is a hands-on role. The engineer should be equally comfortable configuring a router, analyzing packet captures, reviewing Linux logs, and evaluating RF performance as they are inspecting antenna installations, testing cables, or working aboard a vessel during integration and sea trials. The engineer will independently execute assigned integration and troubleshooting tasks while collaborating with senior engineers on architecture, requirements, and design decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Integrate, configure, and troubleshoot vessel and ground-control communications systems, including RF radios, satellite terminals, cellular connections, routers, switches, and antennas.
• Configure and validate IP addressing, subnets, VLANs, routing, DHCP, firewall rules, VPNs, and multicast or broadcast traffic handling.
• Support implementation and testing of multi-WAN connectivity, link failover, traffic prioritization, and bandwidth aggregation.
• Evaluate communications performance using throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss, signal quality, and link availability measurements.
• Develop and review RF link budgets, antenna placement, cable-loss estimates, and installation considerations such as polarization, isolation, and interference.
• Diagnose connectivity and performance issues using packet captures, router diagnostics, Linux tools, RF test equipment, and system logs.
• Integrate communications paths for command and control, telemetry, video, radar, and other onboard payload interfaces.
• Support dockside checkout, sea trials, demonstrations, deliveries, and customer events; verify communications readiness before deployment.
• Execute test procedures to validate coverage, failover behavior, recovery after outages, and performance under representative operating conditions.
• Inspect and troubleshoot communications wiring, Ethernet and RF cabling, connectors, grounding, and equipment power.
• Maintain network diagrams, IP address plans, equipment configurations, test results, and installation and troubleshooting procedures.
• Identify recurring issues and work with autonomy, software, electrical, and systems engineering teams to implement durable corrective actions.

Required Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience in communications engineering, RF systems, network engineering, systems integration, or a related technical role.
• Hands-on experience integrating and troubleshooting RF or wireless communications equipment and IP networks.
• Working knowledge of RF fundamentals, including link budgets, antenna gain, polarization, cable loss, line of sight, and interference.
• Working knowledge of TCP/IP, UDP, Ethernet, subnetting, VLANs, routing, DHCP, VPNs, and network security fundamentals.
• Experience configuring routers, managed switches, and wireless communications equipment.
• Familiarity with Linux, SSH, command-line utilities, logs, and basic system services.
• Experience using Wireshark, tcpdump, iperf, or equivalent network diagnostic tools.
• Ability to use a multimeter and appropriate RF test equipment to troubleshoot installed communications systems.
• Ability to read and produce network diagrams, wiring diagrams, test procedures, and technical documentation.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot assigned problems, communicate findings clearly, and coordinate corrective actions across engineering teams.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• Ability to travel up to 50%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with USVs, UAS, UGVs, robotics, marine electronics, defense, aerospace, or other complex integrated systems.
• Experience with Peplink routers, SpeedFusion, SD-WAN, satellite communications, Starlink, or cellular networking.
• Experience with tactical or industrial mesh radios.
• Experience with spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, RF power meters, or cable and antenna analyzers.
• Familiarity with NVIDIA Jetson or other embedded Linux computers.
• Familiarity with MAVLink, NMEA 2000, CAN, serial interfaces, or maritime sensor integration.
• Experience transporting video, radar, or telemetry across bandwidth-constrained or intermittent links.
• Experience with Python or shell scripting for diagnostics, monitoring, configuration, or test automation.
• Experience with field testing, sea trials, commissioning, or deployed communications systems.

Travel & Working Conditions

• Up to 50% travel, including customer sites, test ranges, partner locations, and potential OCONUS travel.
• Early starts, extended days, and occasional weekend work may be required around test events.
• Must be comfortable working aboard vessels, outdoors, dockside, and in shop/test environments.
• Must be able to kneel, crouch, climb, access installed equipment, and lift approximately 25 lbs.

Physical Requirements and Working Environment

This role combines office and laboratory work with hands-on vessel integration and outdoor testing.

• • Ability to manually lift and carry equipment and materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
• • Ability to crawl, kneel, crouch, bend, climb, and work in confined or awkward spaces while installing, inspecting, and servicing equipment on and around vessels.
• • Ability to safely board and move around boats, docks, and uneven or wet surfaces.
• • Comfortable working outdoors and in marine environments, including dockside activities and on-water testing.
• • Occasional travel and schedule flexibility may be required to support trials and demonstrations.

BackgroundCheck

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with a criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal and state law.

EEO and ITAR/EAR Work Authorization Disclosure

Red Cat Holdings provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Successful candidates for positions subject to ITAR/EAR restrictions must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence and must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization.

E-Verify

The company participatesE-Verify ensure eligibility for employment and compliance withRight to Work rules.

Compensation: Base pay, plus generous annual equity package and potential bonuses.