Senior Product Applications Engineer – PLL/VCO & Phased-Array Radar

Job Title

Senior Product Applications Engineer – PLL/VCO & Phased-Array Radar

Role Summary

Serve as the technical authority for PLL, VCO, and frequency-generation products with a primary focus on phased-array radar, electronic warfare, SATCOM, and advanced RF systems. Enable customer integration of ADI timing and RF solutions by providing system-level guidance, reference designs, application collateral, and direct design support.

Work cross-functionally with IC design, systems engineering, marketing, and customers to influence product direction, accelerate adoption, and mentor junior engineers.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Preferred 5+ years of experience in product applications engineering, RF systems engineering, or customer technical support, particularly with phased-array or multi-channel RF architectures.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include system guidance, application leadership, reference-design development, technical support, and cross-functional influence.

• Develop and maintain deep system-level expertise in phased-array radar, EW, SATCOM, and RF signal chains with emphasis on frequency synthesis, LO distribution, and synchronization.
• Advise customers on phase-noise budgeting, spurious analysis, coherency, calibration, and multi-channel synchronization.
• Act as primary applications expert for PLLs, VCOs, clocking, and frequency-generation ICs; guide device selection and architecture tradeoffs.
• Lead development of evaluation boards, phased-array reference platforms, simulation tools, and software utilities.
• Create application notes and design examples addressing LO leakage, spur mitigation, multi-chip synchronization, and thermal effects.
• Collaborate with IC design, systems engineering, marketing, and sales to influence product roadmaps and customer adoption.
• Diagnose and resolve advanced RF and timing issues using measurements, simulation, and system-level analysis; provide on-site or virtual support for customer programs.
• Define and execute bench- and system-level validation plans for phase noise, spurs, switching, and temperature performance.
• Provide competitive analysis and market intelligence on PLL, VCO, and clocking solutions.
• Mentor junior applications engineers and contribute to team best practices.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for successful performance in this role.

• Strong system-level understanding of frequency synthesis, phase noise, spurious mechanisms, and LO distribution in RF systems.
• Hands-on experience with phased-array radar or multi-channel RF architectures.
• Proven expertise applying PLLs, VCOs, clock generators, and synthesizers in high-performance RF designs; ability to optimize for noise, power, tuning range, lock time, and scalability.
• Advanced debugging skills with spectrum analyzers, phase-noise analyzers, VNAs, and oscilloscopes; strong analytical skills correlating theory, simulation, and lab results.
• Experience independently developing reference designs, evaluation hardware, and application documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to work across design, systems, marketing, and sales teams to deliver customer-focused solutions.
• Excellent technical communication skills for both written collateral and customer presentations.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% for customer support and programs.
• May require export-licensing review for applicants who are not U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or other protected individuals; ability to comply with export-control processes as needed.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field is required; Master's degree is preferred. The posting does not list specific certifications. (The role also cites 5+ years of related experience as preferred.)

About the Company

Company: Analog Devices

Headquarters: Norwood, Massachusetts, USA

Analog Devices is a leading global semiconductor company that bridges the physical and digital worlds, enabling breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge. With a focus on innovation, ADI develops solutions that drive advancements in digitized factories, mobility, and digital healthcare. The company employs around 24,000 people globally and reported revenues exceeding $9 billion in FY24, creating technologies that transform lives across various sectors.