This is your opportunity to have a significant impact at a new, cutting-edge startup delivering disruptive technology that will drive electronic systems innovation across a diverse range of industries. You will work with Menlo Micro and their proprietary and proven Ideal Switch technology. Electromechanical switches that are smaller than the width of a human hair and are architected to be scalable, depending on the power ratings required. We are seeking an engineer who isn't interested in maintaining the status quo, but instead, sees the possibilities and is passionate about pushing technology forward. If that sounds like you, this rare, ground floor position could be your ideal opportunity. Consider a few of the advantages of joining us. You will:

• Enjoy the best of both worlds: the innovative, energized, growth atmosphere of a startup, built on a strong and stable foundation of investors -- industry giants GE, and Corning and Paladin.
• Impact the entire product cycle from understanding the needs of the client to focusing on systems architecture to delivering cutting edge solutions. 
• Pick up where General Electric’s deep research and development efforts left off, building new products for multiple markets from medical to defense to aerospace, wireless infrastructure and beyond.
• Work closely with top minds in the electronic systems and semiconductor industries, including our CTO, who has been at the heart of developing Menlo’s MEMS switch technology since its conception at GE Global Research.
• Create a legacy of work that will truly make a difference -- work you can be proud of.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Menlo Micro is a spin-off from GE Global Research that is leveraging more than 10-years of R&D and GE's proven Digital-Micro-Switch (DMS) technology to create a scalable product development platform that drives disruptive shifts in digitally controlled, RF, smart, high-power switching applications with Smart-Relay-Systems. Our goal is to enable the future of Power IoT and Communications today.

Pictured: The Menlo Micro MM5120 is the world’s first generally available high-power RF SP4T micro-mechanical switch. We have developed a new fabrication process and applied it to DC and wideband RF/microwave switch applications. This new innovative technology enables robust and highly reliable switches capable of greater than 25 W CW power handling at 6.0 GHz.

This role requires a strong mix of technical skills to work on disruptive RF solutions developed with Menlo’s proprietary Ideal Switch technology, as well as interpersonal skills to work extensively with Sales and customers to support business growth. The ideal candidate will have experience with RF system architecture, design or test up to 20GHz and above.

In addition, to be a good fit for the RF Applications Engineer opportunity, you will have:

• A bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) discipline.
• 2+ years’ experience in RF design, test or applications engineering for frequency up to 6GHz; higher frequency experience desired.
• An understanding of transmission line and microwave engineering theory, including proficiency with Smith Charts and high-frequency component matching. 
• Knowledge of RF/Microwave components commonly used in RF subsystems including amplifiers, mixers, limiters, attenuators, filters, switches, couplers, VCOs, etc.
• Hands-on experience with microwave test equipment such as spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, signal generators, power meters.
• Hands-on experience with RF circuits and topologies used in RF filters, RF switches, phase shifters, antennas, RF power amplifiers, and other RF front-end technologies.
• The ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

In addition, you will need the following core competencies and characteristics:

• Good organization skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks and set priorities to meet goals in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; experience with technical customer communications.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well within a small team environment.
• The ability to build effective relationships and influence outcomes.
• Skill filling multiple roles as required in a small but growing start-up environment.

Preferred, but not required:

• Skill and experience with product design and evaluation: schematic capture, IC layout, simulation, package analysis, and/or design validation.
• Working knowledge of EM/circuit simulation tools like Ansoft HFSS, CST Studio Suite, Agilent Momentum, or similar computational electromagnetic simulation tools.
• MSEE or PhD EE in RF or Wireless Communications field.
• Filter design experience, including lumped element, ceramic, or cavity resonator designs for fixed, multiplexed, or tunable filter topologies.

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence for ITA compliance / security clearance.

Pictured: The MM3130 device is a high power 6-channel SPST micro-mechanical switch offered in a 36 mm2 BGA package. Given its small form factor, significant power handling capability, and ultra-low DC and RF losses, the MM3130 can bring significant size and weight reductions to high power radio designs.

Overview

Reporting to the SVP WW Marketing, as RF Applications Engineer, you will be responsible for providing technical support to key customers, while also working closely with Engineering to help develop next-generation products utilizing our proprietary Ideal Switch technology, and with Sales and Marketing to help promote the products and grow the business.

Your Role

You will serve as both a hands-on applications engineer developing solutions , and a technical expert and sales support guru influencing specific accounts at the customer level. Initially, you will spend more time on the front lines with the client facing portion of your position (approximately 75%), but we anticipate approximately a 50/50 split over time. You will spend time in the lab, of course, but to earn early wins, you will focus on educating prospects and customers, gaining buy-in and helping Sales close and expand business. We already have a robust pipeline and you will directly influence the movement from prospect to client. This is a product people are excited about – the opportunities are deep and wide. It won’t be necessary to be a strong sales representative, just a strong technical educator and influencer. As long as you have polished interpersonal and communication skills, along with the technical acumen, you will be able to excel and your successes will be highly visible within Menlo Micro, and to our investors.

As part of your duties, you will:

• Architect, design, simulate, layout, test, and troubleshoot RF circuits and subsystems for communications, industrial, radar, and other radio frequency products.
• Provide layout supervision and guidance of complex analog/RF/microwave/mmWave circuit assemblies of both internal and external board designers.
• Design product evaluation boards or reference designs. Perform board level tesst, tuning and characterization of the performances of the company’s products.
• Create presentations to demonstrate innovative designs, document performance, and communicate architecture ideas and capabilities.
• Present technology concepts to customers/partners in support of pre-sales activities.
• Perform simulation as necessary to support customer requests and recommend solutions that help with product selection and adoption.
• Make periodic customer visits to assess customer needs and provide key support to sales and other partners.
• Work with marketing, sales, and customers during the evaluation of Menlo products in order to resolve any technical issues and drive design-in/design-win activities.
• Determine customer requirements for their specific applications and recommend the right solutions.
• Work with design engineers to create supporting documents such as datasheets and application notes.
• Work with Marketing, Engineering and Menlo’s customers to ensure that new products are market leaders that provide clear system level differentiation.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Ground-floor Opportunity
The role of RF Applications Engineer is critical to our success, so it's one of our first roles to fill. You will join us on the ground-floor, helping to drive success from the very beginning! This is your opportunity to be part of a tremendous business opportunity, and as we grow, you can grow along with us, building a career that will last over the long-haul.

Impact the Roadmap
We’re not looking at this venture as a commodity replacement. To the contrary. We’re highly focused on systems architecture and are seeking a RF engineer with a systems architecture background who wants to work on the cutting- edge and disrupt the industry. You will have influence across the entire product lifecycle from understanding client needs and suggesting and designing solutions, to working with engineering, marketing and the supply chain to deliver those solutions. You will be a key influencer each step of the way and help influence future products.

Ground-breaking Technology
Born out of a decade-long effort at General Electric's Global Research Center, Menlo Micro is bringing to the market a series of technology innovations that have enabled us to reinvent one of the most essential and fundamental building blocks required for nearly every electronic system imaginable . . . the switch.

Top Talent
We've already said it, but it's worth repeating. You will work with top industry talent -- highly experienced leaders with decades of combined experience and wins ranging from past startup success to success at major corporations. All or our leaders bring tremendous skill and a proven track record of success, ranging from important journal publications to a plethora of patents to business and leadership successes, both domestic and international, and more. You will add your own strong skills to that talent, and also have plenty of opportunities to learn and further develop your skills.

Low Risk, High Return
Unlike most startups, we have a decade of research behind us and the backing of $32 million to get us started. We already have clients ranging from home automation to wireless power-charging and are in production with a product that will support GE's MRI technology. In fact, we're already so far along that we've already built out our supply chain team and we have achieved our ISO9001:2015 certification in only 18 months of operations! In other words, you will enjoy the entrepreneurial atmosphere of a high-potential startup without worrying about the usual startup risks.

Excellent Compensation
Unlike other startups, we offer competitive compensation and a fully faceted benefits plan, including incentives, a range of company paid insurances, paid time off and more.

While we enjoy benefits and security beyond a normal startup, ours is still a startup environment. To thrive and excel here, you must be able to wear multiple hats – primarily as an RF Applications and Sales Engineer – and support a large number of customer engagements. Your technical skills will be essential, but just as important will be your interpersonal and communication skills.

On one hand, you will support customers and serve as a technical expert. On the other hand, you also will serve as a buffer between the customers and our core engineering team, acting as a translator and navigator to both. Additionally, you should be comfortable in a rapidly growing environment where ambiguity is the norm. You’re entering on the ground floor, so you won’t find established SOPs. Flexibility and adaptability will be critical to success.

Pictured: The MM3100 device is a high power, normally open (NO), six-channel single pole/single throw (SPST) micro-mechanical switch for RF and microwave switch applications. Innovations in the switch material system enable robust and highly reliable switches capable of >25 W that are an ideal replacement for pin diode switches in high power radio applications.