Roguebeam Principal RFIC Designer Seattle, WA · Full time

Principal RFIC Designer - Beamformer design

About Roguebeam

Roguebeam is a startup developing advanced phased array systems for communications and radar applications. We design and manufacture complete systems in-house—RF, antenna, digital, and DSP—giving our engineers end-to-end ownership of the technology and a direct line of sight from algorithm to deployed system. We’re early, we’re growing fast, and the people who join us now will shape both the technology and the company.

Description

The Role

We’re looking for a Principal RFIC Engineer to set the technical direction for the advanced beamformer integrated circuits at the heart of our phased array solutions. As a foundational technical leader, you’ll help set the direction of both our product and silicon roadmap, define the architectures that underpin our systems, and establish the design culture and methodology the team scales on.


You’ll work across RFIC design from architecture through tape-out and bring-up, partnering closely with antenna, digital, and DSP teams. As a principal-level individual contributor, you’ll be the person others turn to on the hardest RF problems, and the decisions you make will ripple through every product we build.


Responsibilities

  • Design RFIC beamformers and associated RF/mm-wave building blocks (phase shifters, attenuators, LNAs, PAs, mixers, switches) for phased array systems
  • Drive designs from specification and architecture definition through schematic, layout, tape-out, and silicon validation
  • Run circuit and system-level simulations covering linearity, noise, gain/phase control accuracy, and power
  • Collaborate with antenna, digital, and DSP teams to ensure RFIC performance meets full-system requirements
  • Support lab characterization, debug, and design iteration of fabricated parts
  • Define RFIC architectures and lead the most complex and ambiguous design challenges
  • Set technical direction across the RFIC roadmap and influence system-level trade-offs
  • Establish design flows, methodology, and standards; mentor and elevate the broader team


Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
  • 10+ years of relevant experience in RFIC or RF/mm-wave circuit design, with a track record of leading complex designs from architecture through silicon
  • Expert proficiency with industry-standard design and simulation tools (e.g., Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre, ADS, and EM simulators such as EMX, HFSS, or Momentum)
  • Authoritative grounding in RF fundamentals: matching, noise, linearity, and S-parameters


Preferred Qualifications

  • MSc or PhD with a focus on RFIC design
  • Experience designing beamformers or phased array front-end ICs
  • Familiarity with mm-wave design and silicon technologies (SiGe BiCMOS, CMOS, GaAs/GaN)
  • Experience taking designs through tape-out and post-silicon validation
  • Background in communications or radar system requirements


Why Roguebeam

This is a rare ground-floor opportunity. Joining a startup at this stage means your work has a direct, visible effect on whether the company succeeds—and a corresponding upside as we grow. Because we build the entire system in-house, you’ll see your RFIC designs integrated into real phased arrays and deployed in working systems, not handed off and forgotten. You’ll have real ownership and a seat at the table on technical direction.


Salary

$135,000 - $250,000 per year