Senior RF Test Engineer – SDR & Layer 1 Automation

Job Title: Senior Test Engineer (Radio Frequency)

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Relocation Opportunity)

A leading defence company based in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Test Engineer with strong expertise in RF systems, Software Defined Radio (SDR), Layer 1 testing, and test automation. This is a highly technical, hands-on role focused on the development, integration and end-to-end testing of advanced RF and radio communication systems within laboratory and field environments.

The successful candidate will have a strong telecommunications background and experience building test environments, developing automated test cases, integrating hardware and software, and evaluating RF system performance using industry-standard laboratory equipment.

Key responsibilities

• Translate system-level requirements into measurable test cases, verification procedures and acceptance criteria.
• Perform hands-on RF and Layer 1 / Physical Layer testing of SDR and radio communication systems.
• Conduct development-level, hardware/software integration and system integration testing to identify and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Execute end-to-end testing across laboratory and relevant field environments, producing detailed test reports and status updates.
• Develop and maintain automated test cases and test frameworks, primarily using Python and LabVIEW.

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• Build and configure hardware and software test environments from scratch, including identifying and specifying required laboratory resources.
• Characterise and evaluate RF and SDR system performance, including EVM, Channel Power and other RF performance measurements.
• Troubleshoot complex technical issues across RF, hardware and software interfaces.
• Support compliance, compatibility and system verification activities.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams across RF, hardware, software, systems and telecommunications.

What we’re looking for

• 7–12 years of relevant engineering experience in RF, radio communications, SDR, testing or verification.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong background in telecommunications, wireless communication or radio systems.
• Proven hands-on experience with RF and Layer 1 / Physical Layer testing.
• Experience testing complete RF/SDR systems, including development-level, integration and end-to-end testing.

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• Strong understanding of RF fundamentals and RF system performance.
• Practical experience measuring and analysing EVM, Channel Power and RF signal performance.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory equipment including spectrum analysers, network analysers, signal generators, channel simulators and oscilloscopes.
• Strong Python programming skills for test automation, with experience using LabVIEW.
• Experience developing automated test cases and test frameworks, rather than only executing predefined tests.
• Proven experience with hardware/software integration, troubleshooting and system debugging.
• Experience building and configuring laboratory test environments from scratch.

Ideal candidate

The successful candidate will combine strong RF fundamentals and telecommunications knowledge with practical experience testing SDR and radio communication systems at Layer 1 and system level.

They will be comfortable working hands-on with RF laboratory equipment, integrating hardware and software, developing automated testing solutions and troubleshooting complex system-level issues. Experience with Python, LabVIEW, RF measurements and laboratory environment development will be particularly valuable.