Location: Based near Milwaukee, WI
Department: Engineering
Type: Full-time
Travel: Occasional travel required for customer/design support, trade shows, and onsite debugging
At CEL, we’re building more than wireless modules - we’re building relationships. With over 60 years of experience, we combine big-company stability with small-team agility. We’re based in Milwaukee and looking for a technically adept, customer-oriented Jr. RF Engineer to join us.
Real Impact: We’re small enough that your ideas won’t get lost in the shuffle - you’ll shape products, strategy, and success.
Collaborative Culture: Open communication, strong mentoring, and a focus on quality teamwork.
Flexibility: We trust you to manage your time and projects. Our lab is based in Milwaukee, but there may be days you can work remotely. Competitive Compensation: Base salary based on experience, with variable pay tied to performance.
Comprehensive Benefits: Enjoy the advantages of a well-established company with a startup spirit.
A Junior RF Engineer to conceive, design, develop, and test embedded wireless modules and systems. This role focuses on hardware-based wireless products for industrial, commercial, IoT, and B2B markets. Candidates must be local to Milwaukee, WI.
This job description is a starting place. We’re a small company without rigid roles - we have plenty to do, and we’ll help you grow wherever your interests take you.
- A self-starter who adapts to change easily and takes ownership of projects
- Independent, organized, self-disciplined, motivated, and eager to learn
- Able to collaborate and communicate across functional teams
- Effective and confident in decision-making and problem-solving
- Comfortable moving quickly, breaking things responsibly, and getting hands-on in the lab
- Creative with a strong desire to learn
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- A demonstrated ability to work in a remote + local team environment (we use Slack, Skype, Email, etc)
- Ability to analyze defects, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions
- Experience with RF systems and board level design with a working knowledge of RF architecture
- An understanding of concepts such as:
- RF design techniques and constraints including RF matching for optimal transmitter and receiver performance.
- Place and route constraints for both RF and high speed digital design
- Clock distribution
- Power distribution
- PCB material selection, board stackup design and impedance control
- Signal termination techniques
- EMI control and reduction
- Thermal design
- CAD/CAE tools: PADS schematic capture and layout, Fusion 360, or Inventor
- LabVIEW (or other automation) software development experience desired
- Work with Senior RF Engineers to perform RF module/system implementation throughout a product design cycle
- Hands-on soldering skills down to 0201-size chip components for prototype assembly and testing
- Part selection, prototyping, factory bring-up, testing, lab bench debug, and root cause analysis
- Knowledge in wireless communication standards, modulation/demodulation, Digital signal processing
- Understanding RF/microwave fundamentals and Electromagnetic theory
- Understanding of module building blocks, including Power Amplifiers, LNAs, RF Switches, Filters, Flash Memory, etc
- Background with wireless networking protocols like ZigBee, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc
- Provide support and debug capabilities to customers over call and email
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Experience characterizing and improving wireless performance
- Experience with logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and function generators
- Familiarity with protocols like I2C, UART, SPI, USB, GPIO, RS232, RS485
- Experience optimizing embedded software for wireless stacks
- Familiarity with Git, software design methodology, and development processes
- Experience in embedded system development using Linux, RTOS, GCC, IAR on x86, ARM, MIPS, or PPC
- Experience with frameworks and build systems
- Programming in one or more languages
- Experience with development tools (IDEs, emulators, analyzers) and real-time debugging
- Knowledge of Linux kernel development, device drivers, and board support packages
- FTDI, J-Link, or other debuggers
- Scripting skills (Lua, Python, Bash, Makefiles, etc.)
- Experience with U-Boot, OpenWRT, or Yocto Linux
If you’re interested in joining the CEL Engineering Team, please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected]
