Hardware Engineer

Lead / Principal Hardware Engineer (RF Focus)

Position & Location: Lead / Principal Role in Hardware Engineering (8–15 years of experience).

Location: Kolkata, India

Scope: Lead the RF and hardware architecture of global smart metering platforms across electricity, water, and gas domains.

Role Overview

As a Lead Hardware Engineer (RF Focus), you will be responsible for driving the end-to-end RF and hardware design strategy for smart metering solutions. This includes ownership of RF front-end architecture, antenna design, impedance matching, and wireless module integration for Cellular (NB-IoT, CAT-M1), Sub-GHz RF, and IoT protocols.

Responsibilities

RF & Hardware Architecture Leadership

• Own the RF system architecture across product lines (sub-GHz, NB-IoT, CAT-M1, Cellular).

• Drive antenna design, tuning, and optimization for integrated and external antenna solutions.

• Define and validate RF link budgets, impedance matching networks, and front-end filtering architectures.

• Select and qualify RF components and modules for scalability, cost, and performance balance.

• Establish and enforce RF design guidelines for PCB layout, PCD integration, and system-level EMC robustness.

Prototyping, Testing & Certification

• Lead RF performance validation: sensitivity, selectivity, harmonics, spurious emissions, TRP/TIS, VSWR, S11, and antenna efficiency.

• Oversee certification and type approvals with international regulatory bodies (FCC, ETSI, TRAI, BIS, MEA).

• Direct RF simulation activities using industry-standard tools (ADS, CST, HFSS, AWR, etc.).

• Define test strategies and RF validation methodologies for lab and field conditions.

• Anticipate and solve cross-band interference, coexistence, and EMC/EMI issues.

Technical & People Leadership

• Mentor and guide a team of hardware and RF engineers, enabling skill development in advanced RF practices.

• Facilitate design reviews and architecture discussions across R&D and manufacturing teams.

• Collaborate with firmware, mechanical, and test engineering teams for holistic product realization.

• Represent hardware/RF in customer discussions, supplier evaluations, and technical partnerships.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in DFMEA, DFA, DFT, DFM, and PFMEA for RF-heavy designs.

Strategic Contribution

• Influence long-term RF technology roadmaps for next-gen metering products.

• Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., 5G RedCap, LTE-M evolution, LPWAN alternatives, GNSS integration) for future adoption.

• Ensure RF designs meet scalability, manufacturability, and global deployment requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's/Master's in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering (PhD preferred for Principal roles).

• 10+ years of RF hardware design experience in IoT/telecom/embedded industries (5+ years in leadership roles).

• Proven expertise in Cellular RF (NB-IoT, CAT-M1), Sub-GHz ISM bands, and antenna systems.

• Advanced proficiency with RF simulation and optimization tools (ADS, CST, HFSS, AWR).

• Hands-on with PCB/PCD RF layout practices, including multilayer impedance control and grounding strategies.

• Strong track record of leading products through global certification processes.

• Deep knowledge of EMI/EMC troubleshooting and design-for-compliance practices.

• Strong grasp of low-power design trade-offs in battery-operated IoT devices.

• Excellent communication, cross-cultural collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.

Competencies

• Visionary Leadership

• Technical Authority

• Mentorship & Coaching

• Strategic Thinking

• Execution Excellence