RF Hardware Intern (Fall 2026) at Tacit

About Tacit

We are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life.

About the role

We're seeking motivated RF Hardware interns to contribute to the development and validation of RF systems for our cutting-edge sensing technology. Depending on your experience, interests, and the needs of the team, your work may focus on exploring new RF architectures or on validating and improving the performance of existing RF systems.

Projects may involve prototyping new circuit concepts, evaluating RF components and system architectures, bringing up RF transceiver and evaluation hardware, developing automated measurement infrastructure, or characterizing hardware performance across devices, builds, and operating conditions.

For this fall, the primary focus areas are (a) systematic, per-build characterization of our RF signal chain against expected performance, and (b) bring-up of RF transceiver evaluation hardware, combining embedded firmware work with RF exploration.

Each intern will own a focused project area and work closely with RF and validation engineers to turn experimental results into engineering recommendations.

This role offers hands-on experience across RF hardware, embedded firmware, test automation, and data analysis, along with collaborative learning, technical mentorship, and direct involvement in product development within a dynamic startup environment.

This position is primarily for a fall-start internship.

What you'll do

Depending on your project area, you may:

Run systematic, per-build characterization of the RF signal chain: execute defined test sets across all RF blocks and compare measured results against datasheet-based expected performance, flagging typical vs. atypical behavior
Bring up RF transceiver evaluation hardware: radio configuration and control, RF performance exploration, and integration into our measurement infrastructure
Prototype and evaluate RF components, circuits, and sensing architectures
Design and assemble evaluation boards, test fixtures, and PCB prototypes
Characterize RF signal-chain components such as amplifiers, mixers, filters, switches, couplers, and antennas
Investigate architectural tradeoffs involving sensitivity, bandwidth, noise, power consumption, size, and system complexity
Develop test methods to characterize RF system performance, repeatability, and reliability
Measure parameters such as gain, loss, sensitivity, noise, linearity, frequency response, and device-to-device variation
Build automated test setups using Python, laboratory instruments, and embedded hardware
Develop validation procedures and test coverage for new hardware revisions
Investigate performance limitations and support root-cause analysis
Contribute to embedded firmware (C/C++) used for hardware bring-up, radio configuration, test control, calibration, and diagnostics
Analyze experimental data and compare results against simulations, component specifications, and system requirements
Document test procedures and clearly present engineering findings, tradeoffs, and recommendations

Requirements

Currently enrolled in (or completing) an MS or PhD program in Electrical Engineering, RF & Applied Electromagnetics, Microwave & Wireless Engineering, or a closely related field
Available for a fall-start internship, onsite in San Francisco

Strong candidates may have

Experience with RF circuits, wireless systems, antennas, or microwave engineering
Familiarity with RF concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, gain, noise figure, compression, phase noise, and link budgets
Experience using RF laboratory equipment such as a VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope, or power meter
Experience with embedded C/C++ on microcontrollers, including peripheral interfaces such as SPI/I2C/UART and register-level device configuration
Experience with Python for measurement automation and data analysis, or with PCB design
Experience with Altium Designer or another PCB design tool
Experience with analog or mixed-signal design at the system or PCB level
Experience bringing up COTS RF transceivers, radio modules, or SDR platforms
Familiarity with RF simulation tools such as ADS, HFSS, CST, or similar tools
Experience automating measurements or analyzing experimental data
Strong hands-on debugging and problem-solving skills
Independent work ethic, flexibility, and resourcefulness
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Comfort working in a fast-moving startup environment and excitement about building and testing hardware independently

Compensation Range

$40–$60/hr

About the role

Each intern will own a focused project area and work closely with RF and validation engineers to turn experimental results into engineering recommendations.

This position is primarily for a fall-start internship.

What you'll do

Depending on your project area, you may:

Run systematic, per-build characterization of the RF signal chain: execute defined test sets across all RF blocks and compare measured results against datasheet-based expected performance, flagging typical vs. atypical behavior

Bring up RF transceiver evaluation hardware: radio configuration and control, RF performance exploration, and integration into our measurement infrastructure

Prototype and evaluate RF components, circuits, and sensing architectures

Design and assemble evaluation boards, test fixtures, and PCB prototypes

Characterize RF signal-chain components such as amplifiers, mixers, filters, switches, couplers, and antennas

Investigate architectural tradeoffs involving sensitivity, bandwidth, noise, power consumption, size, and system complexity

Develop test methods to characterize RF system performance, repeatability, and reliability

Measure parameters such as gain, loss, sensitivity, noise, linearity, frequency response, and device-to-device variation

Build automated test setups using Python, laboratory instruments, and embedded hardware

Develop validation procedures and test coverage for new hardware revisions

Investigate performance limitations and support root-cause analysis

Contribute to embedded firmware (C/C++) used for hardware bring-up, radio configuration, test control, calibration, and diagnostics

Analyze experimental data and compare results against simulations, component specifications, and system requirements

Document test procedures and clearly present engineering findings, tradeoffs, and recommendations

Strong candidates may have

Experience with RF circuits, wireless systems, antennas, or microwave engineering

Familiarity with RF concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, gain, noise figure, compression, phase noise, and link budgets

Experience using RF laboratory equipment such as a VNA, spectrum analyzer, signal generator, oscilloscope, or power meter

Experience with embedded C/C++ on microcontrollers, including peripheral interfaces such as SPI/I2C/UART and register-level device configuration

Experience with Python for measurement automation and data analysis, or with PCB design

Experience with Altium Designer or another PCB design tool

Experience with analog or mixed-signal design at the system or PCB level

Experience bringing up COTS RF transceivers, radio modules, or SDR platforms

Familiarity with RF simulation tools such as ADS, HFSS, CST, or similar tools

Experience automating measurements or analyzing experimental data

Strong hands-on debugging and problem-solving skills

Independent work ethic, flexibility, and resourcefulness

Effective written and verbal communication skills

Comfort working in a fast-moving startup environment and excitement about building and testing hardware independently