Principal Radio Frequency Engineer

IC Resources; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Employee ownership

Job summary

IC Resources is seeking a Principal RF Engineer in the Cambridge area to take technical ownership of RF hardware development across a range of advanced communications products. You will work hands-on across the full lifecycle, from architecture and concept through PCB design, testing, optimisation and production support.

The role requires strong RF/microwave experience, PCB-level RF design skills, and familiarity with SDR architectures and cellular technologies.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience in RF or microwave hardware design.
• Hands-on experience designing RF transmit and receive circuitry.
• Experience with power amplifier design.
• Good understanding of Software Defined Radio (SDR) architectures.
• Experience with cellular technologies (2G/3G/4G/5G).
• Broad knowledge of analogue and digital electronics.

Responsibilities

• Technical ownership of RF hardware development.
• RF system architecture and circuit design.
• Design and development of RF receivers, transmitters and power amplifiers.
• PCB-level RF design, integration, debugging and optimisation.
• Prototype development, testing and characterisation.
• Supporting products through development, verification and into production.
• Collaborating with DSP, electronics and wider engineering teams.
• Providing technical guidance and shaping future RF architectures.

Skills

RF design

PCB RF design

Power amplifiers

SDR architectures

RF transceivers

Education

Electronic Engineering degree

Job description

We are working with a specialist technology company based in the Cambridge area seeking a Principal RF Engineer to take technical ownership of RF hardware development across a range of advanced communications products.

This is a senior, hands-on position within a small multidisciplinary engineering team, offering significant autonomy over the RF design process. You will work across the full product lifecycle, from early-stage architecture and concept development through detailed circuit design, PCB development, testing, optimisation and production support.

The successful Principal RF Engineer will be comfortable operating independently and making key technical decisions, while collaborating closely with engineers across electronics, signal processing, embedded systems and mechanical design.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Technical ownership of RF hardware development
• RF system architecture and circuit design
• Design and development of RF receivers, transmitters and power amplifiers
• PCB-level RF design, integration, debugging and optimisation
• Prototype development, testing and characterisation
• Supporting products through development, verification and into production
• Working closely with DSP, electronics and wider engineering teams
• Providing technical guidance and helping shape future RF architectures

The ideal Principal RF Engineer will have:

• Strong commercial experience in RF or microwave hardware design
• Extensive hands-on experience designing RF transmit and receive circuitry
• Experience with power amplifier design
• Good understanding of Software Defined Radio (SDR) architectures
• Experience with cellular communications technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G
• Strong PCB-level RF design, test and debugging experience
• Broad knowledge of analogue and digital electronics
• Experience taking RF designs from initial concept through to production
• The ability to work autonomously and take ownership of technically complex RF designs
• A degree in Electronic Engineering, RF Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience

Experience working with RF systems operating into the low-GHz range would be particularly relevant, while knowledge of DSP principles and embedded development would also be beneficial.

The position offers a salary from approximately £75,000 depending on experience, alongside a highly attractive company performance and employee ownership related bonus scheme.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced RF Engineer looking for a role where they can remain technically hands-on while having genuine ownership and influence over the RF direction of the company.