JobsMotorola Solutions

Principal Antenna Engineer

Motorola Solutions · Schaumburg, IL

Posted Mar 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time your HFSS or CST simulation didn't match what you measured in the anechoic chamber. What did you do?

rigor in debugging sim-to-hardware discrepancies and honesty about failure

Tell me about a time you had to integrate an antenna with an RFFE team's filters, LNAs, or power amplifiers and something didn't line up on impedance matching. How did you resolve it?

cross-functional collaboration and ownership of link budget issues at the interface

Describe a time you had to explain a technical antenna limitation to a customer who wanted something the physics didn't allow. How did that conversation go?

ability to manage customer expectations honestly under technical constraints

Tell me about a time you contributed to a proposal or business development effort. What was your role and what happened with it?

comfort operating beyond pure engineering, into the business side the posting calls out

Technical

Walk me through a phased array project you led, from element design through beamsteering architecture. What tradeoffs drove the final design?

depth of hands-on phased array leadership versus surface familiarity

How do you approach grating lobes and mutual coupling when you're pushing scan angle range in an array design?

whether the candidate actually understands the underlying phased array theory, not just terminology

How have you used Taylor or Chebyshev weighting to control sidelobes, and what did you give up to get there?

real working knowledge of amplitude tapering tradeoffs, not textbook recall

What's your experience with Cadence for matching network design, and how do you validate that a matching network will hold up across the full band and temperature range?

practical fluency with the specific tool and design robustness thinking

How do you choose between substrates like Rogers, Taconic, or Megtron for a given mmWave design, and what have you seen go wrong when the wrong one was picked?

materials knowledge grounded in real consequences, not just spec sheet familiarity

What's your process for validating a design in a near-field or far-field range, and how do you know when a measurement discrepancy is a test setup problem versus a real design flaw?

hands-on measurement rigor and judgment under ambiguous data

Have you worked with System-in-Package or Antenna-in-Package technologies? Tell me about a specific challenge that came up with one of those integrations.

whether the preferred SiP/AiP experience is real or aspirational

Situational

Say you're designing an antenna for a mmWave application and you're seeing higher than expected path loss and manufacturing tolerance issues. How do you isolate whether it's the antenna, the substrate, or the assembly process?

systematic troubleshooting under mmWave-specific constraints

Imagine a customer changes their requirements mid-program in a way that invalidates your current array design. How do you handle that with your team and with them?

composure and communication skills when scope shifts late

You're juggling a proposal deadline, a customer technical review, and a chamber test that's behind schedule. How do you prioritize?

multitasking and judgment under competing real deadlines typical of this role

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The full job description

As published by Motorola Solutions.

Company Overview At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future. Department Overview Our Applied Technology organization puts some of Motorola Solutions' brightest minds on unique, highly challenging projects. Based on decades of experience with our customers, we apply leading-edge technologies to support security and safety throughout the world. We engineer our products from start to finish and manufacture them in-house. We're known for low volume and high capability with focused specialization in areas including software-defined radios, advanced antenna solutions, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, signals intelligence and more. We can't tell you much more about what we do, but we can tell you it's amazing. Job Description Applied Technology seeks a technically proficient and versatile individual to fulfill an Antenna Engineering role. This flexible, results-oriented problem-solver will be responsible for the following for multiple custom wireless communications products: Antenna Engineering • Custom Antenna Development: Design, simulate, and optimize custom antenna elements for wideband and multi-band applications. • Phased Array & Beamforming: Lead the design of active phased array systems, including feed networks, phase shifters, and the implementation of beamsteering architectures. • Electromagnetic Simulation: Perform full-wave EM simulations using Ansys HFSS and Dassault Systems CST to analyze gain, efficiency, return loss, and radiation patterns. • RF Architecture Integration: Collaborate with RF Front-End (RFFE) teams to integrate antennas with filters, LNAs, and power amplifiers, ensuring impedance matching and minimal link budget loss. • Prototyping & Validation: Conduct hands-on testing in Anechoic chambers and Near-field/Far-field ranges to validate hardware against simulated models. • Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) Design: Address specific challenges of the mmWave frequency range, such as atmospheric absorption, high path loss, and tight manufacturing tolerances. • Custom ASIC Development: Collaborate with our RF ASIC team on development of beamformer IC’s Customer Technical Interface • Regularly work directly with customers to develop product requirements • Communicate technical status verbally, written, and in customer meetings • Occasional travel to customer meetings may be required. • Contribute to Business Development and Proposal efforts Specific Knowledge/Skills Required skills: • EM Simulation Software: Expert-level proficiency in ANSYS HFSS and CST Studio Suite. • Phased Array Theory: Deep understanding of grating lobes, mutual coupling, beam scanning range, and Taylor/Chebyshev weighting for sidelobe control. • RF Circuit Design: Proficiency in Cadence for matching network design and system-level budget analysis. • Measurement Hardware: Mastery of Vector Network Analyzers (VNAs), Spectrum Analyzers, and Signal Generators. • Knowledge of high-frequency substrate properties (e.g., Rogers, Taconic, Megtron) and their performance at mmWave frequencies. • Excellent verbal / written communications skills. • Excellent multitasking and prioritization • Strong interpersonal skills. • 8+ years design experience Additional preferred skills: • Understanding of System-in-Package (SiP) and Antenna-in-Package (AiP) technologies. #Applied Tech #LI-JM2 Target Base Salary Range: $100,100  - $160,200  USD Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate.   Basic Requirements • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering • Must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain necessary security clearance as required by government contracts.  Some contracts may have higher-level clearance requirements. Travel Requirements Under 10% Relocation Provided None Position Type Experienced Referral Payment Plan No Our U.S. Benefits include: • Incentive Bonus Plans • Medical, Dental, Vision benefits • 401K with Company Match • 10 Paid Holidays • Generous Paid Time Off Packages • Employee Stock Purchase Plan • Paid Parental & Family Leave • and more! EEO Statement Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.  We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this  Reasonable Accommodations Form  so we can assist you.

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