How to hire a radio frequency engineer lead

How to hire a radio frequency engineer lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step radio frequency engineer lead hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a radio frequency engineer lead job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new radio frequency engineer lead
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a radio frequency engineer lead, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A radio frequency engineer lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, radio frequency engineers lead from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents radio frequency engineer lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Radio Frequency Engineer Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Radio Frequency Engineer Lead	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$34-67
   Controls Designer	Controls designers both design and draft systems of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical controls for equipment and machines. The designers make diagrams of the logic system for timing and sequence control... Show more	$33-58
   PCB Designer	PCB designers are professionals who use computer software programs to design printed circuit boards (PCBs), an electronic circuit that supports electronic components such as transistors, diodes, and capacitors. These designers must design and implement various circuit boards and perform revisions to apply changes that are based on the specifications of customers and engineers... Show more	$23-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • System Design
   • Test Equipment
   • Antenna
   • GPS
   • KPI
   • PCB
   • Mixers
   • Wifi
   • System Performance
   • LTE
   • LabVIEW
   • Transmitters
   • Post Processing
   • Power Amplifiers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and manage a team of engineers and several GSM, UMTS and LTE projects.
   • Lead the receiver development including circuit design, system simulation and integration, compliance testing, and supervision of PCB layout.
   • Manage antenna construction on multiple towers and building rooftops in Philadelphia.
   • Manage all deliverable and oversee complete implementation of KPI improvement projects.
   • Maintain and manage a cluster of cloud-base and local performance servers for regional testing and optimization.
   • Process improvement efforts and/or other opportunities to automate these processes with computer applications with C++ and/or Java where applicable.

   More radio frequency engineer lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your radio frequency engineer lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A radio frequency engineer lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a radio frequency engineer lead in Wisconsin may be lower than in California, and an entry-level radio frequency engineer lead usually earns less than a senior-level radio frequency engineer lead. Additionally, a radio frequency engineer lead with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average radio frequency engineer lead salary

   $100,054yearly

   $48.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level radio frequency engineer lead salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average radio frequency engineer lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$122,833	$59
   2	Texas	$107,565	$52
   3	Washington	$105,903	$51
   4	Virginia	$105,891	$51
   5	Massachusetts	$101,114	$49
   6	Maryland	$99,348	$48
   7	Arizona	$97,191	$47
   8	Colorado	$95,536	$46
   9	New Jersey	$95,498	$46
   10	Utah	$95,492	$46
   11	Florida	$93,291	$45
   12	Minnesota	$91,560	$44
   13	Illinois	$91,479	$44
   14	Missouri	$91,132	$44
   15	Louisiana	$85,863	$41
   16	Georgia	$85,479	$41
   17	North Carolina	$79,213	$38
   18	Oregon	$76,346	$37
   19	Wisconsin	$76,335	$37
   20	Puerto Rico	$43,915	$21

   Average radio frequency engineer lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$145,510	$69.96	60
   2	Qualcomm	$107,312	$51.59	15
   3	Optimos	$105,823	$50.88
   4	AT&T	$105,733	$50.83
   5	MITRE	$105,250	$50.60
   6	Veoneer	$103,346	$49.69
   7	T-Mobile	$102,378	$49.22
   8	Boeing	$102,100	$49.09	26
   9	Rivian	$101,642	$48.87	9
   10	Nexius	$101,042	$48.58
   11	Telecom	$100,399	$48.27	1
   12	Amdocs	$100,183	$48.16
   13	Crown Castle International	$99,837	$48.00	3
   14	Honeywell	$99,529	$47.85	8
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$98,956	$47.58	2
   16	Ossia	$98,850	$47.52
   17	Arq	$98,809	$47.50
   18	Huntington Ingalls Industries	$98,809	$47.50	27
   19	TeleWorld Solutions	$98,394	$47.30	17
   20	Analog Devices	$97,969	$47.10	11

4. Writing a radio frequency engineer lead job description

   A radio frequency engineer lead job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a radio frequency engineer lead job description:

   Radio frequency engineer lead job description example

   Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, is seeking a talented RF Sensor Development Lead to join a diverse team to create unique solutions for complex problems. With offices across the United States engaging in the defense, space, cyber and commercial fields, Dynetics provides responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific and IT solutions.
   
   This position is in the Space Systems Division and will support a variety of government and commercial customers, including DoD and NASA. The selected candidate will serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) leading development of RF Sensors in support of a program team developing small satellites and satellite payloads. Successful candidate will support architecture development, link margin analysis, sensor design, component selections, specification development, and collaboration with customers and teammates.
   Basic Qualifications
   
   + Candidate must possess a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent degree from an ABET-accredited university
   
   + Candidate must have 10+ years direct experience in related role
   
   + Candidate must have experience developing RF link budgets, block diagrams, and schematics along with hardware experience with space-based software defined radios, transceivers, antennas, and amplifiers
   
   + Candidate should be familiar with industry standards for packet data formats, coding and synchronization, and modulation, such as Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS)
   
   + Candidate should have system design knowledge related to UHF, S-Band, Ka-Band, and X-Band RF systems
   
   + Candidate should have knowledge of wireless communication technology, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
   
   + Candidate must have demonstrated experience effectively communicating within a team environment.
   
   Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL area
   
   Other Qualifications
   
   + Preferred candidate will have a Master's Degree or better in a related field
   
   + Preference shown to candidates who have experience supporting DoD or NASA programs
   
   + Proven ability to work well with cross-functional teams, showing excellent verbal and written communication skills, is preferred
   
   Security Requirements
   
   Candidate must be a US Citizen and possess (as well as maintain) a Final Secret Clearance.
   
   Dynetics is an equal opportunity employer M/F/DISABLED/VET

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find radio frequency engineers lead for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your radio frequency engineer lead job on Zippia to find and recruit radio frequency engineer lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with radio frequency engineer lead candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new radio frequency engineer lead

   Once you've found the radio frequency engineer lead candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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