RF Datalink Production Support Lead

MBDA UK; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension: up to 14% total contribution

Overtime opportunities

Flexi Leave: up to 15 days

Flexible working arrangements

Enhanced parental leave

Site facilities: subsidised meals, car

Job summary

MBDA UK is seeking an RF & Electronics Engineer to lead production support for Datalink products at our Bolton facility. You will interface between Design Authority and Manufacturing, lead factory trials, and drive root-cause analysis to sustain high yields.

The role requires hands-on RF design, testing, and production-test leadership in a challenging defence environment with security requirements.

Qualifications

• Proven RF design, testing and fault finding across a wide frequency range (LNA/HPA, filters, attenuators, oscillators).
• Experience with RF design tools (e.g. Microwave Office) including layout.
• Significant RF test & measurement experience with RF calibration and measurement uncertainty; proficient with VNA, spectrum anaalyser, oscilloscopes & power meters.

Responsibilities

• Lead production support for Datalink products in Bolton; interface between Design Authority and Manufacturing.
• Respond to issues raised by Manufacturing/Design teams to maintain high yield.
• Conduct factory-based trials, evidence gathering and root-cause analysis for production issues.
• Provide RF technical leadership and guidance to other support engineers.
• Develop understanding of Datalink products and test equipment designs for Design for Test/Manufacture.
• Oversee documentation and verification activities with Design Authority and Manufacturing.

Skills

RF design and fault finding

RF test & measurement

Soldering and board development

Digital, analogue and power supply设计

Communication and presentation

Design for manufacture

Tools

Microwave Office

Vector Network Analyser (VNA)

Oscilloscopes

Spectrum Analyser

Job description

Job Opportunity

Are you an RF & Electronics Engineer looking for a new challenge in a production‑facing design support role? Do you enjoy problem solving and collaboration where no two days are the same? Our team of Production Support Engineers is expanding and we are looking for a motivated & experienced individual to undertake a production support lead role focused on transceiver‑based datalink products that are used within industry leading missile systems.

Salary: £54-61K depending on experience. Dynamic (hybrid) working: 4‑5 days per week on‑site due to workload classification. Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…

The opportunity

We have a fantastic opportunity for an RF & Electronics Engineer to play a leading role in the support of Datalink production activities at our state of the art manufacturing facility in Bolton. Reporting to the Production Design Support delivery team leader, as the appointed Production Support Lead for our Datalink products in Bolton you will mainly interface between the Design Authority in Stevenage and the various Manufacturing teams in Bolton working on products in series production and under development.

As a highly motivated, driven & experienced engineer you will be required to respond to any issues raised by Manufacturing and/or Design teams that may affect our ability to deliver product with a strong emphasis on raising & maintaining high yield rates. You will be expected to demonstrate hands‑on, face to face production support in many forms such as devising and conducting factory‑based trials & proving activities, generating formal evidence and effective collaboration with various Engineering & Operations Managers, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain & Design Authorities when resolving unforeseen production issues.

You will be required to generate an in‑depth understanding our Datalink Products & associated Test Equipment designs including production test requirements in order to quickly & effectively distinguish the correct root cause of the issue(s) and the subsequent resolution process. You will also be required to act as a key stakeholder & peer reviewer for new, emerging Datalink designs focusing on providing feedback in relation to Design for Test and Design for Manufacture based upon experience & problems raised by Manufacturing. In addition, you will be required to provide RF technical leadership & guidance to other support engineers in the team.

Drawing on your experiences you will work autonomously in isolation or within small, focused investigation teams who will be looking to you for guidance and support in relation to RF components, circuits, systems, testing & analysis. Where minor revisions to product designs are required, you will act as the main contact interfacing between the Design Authority and Manufacturing, fulfilling and overseeing any practical evidence gathering activities including the generation of requirement documentation.

The role offers the successful candidate a true engineering challenge in their core discipline(s), whilst providing scope for personal growth and development in other areas of electronics while working on some of the most exciting missile & platform programmes in defence. Working within Production Design support team is a challenging but highly rewarding role as you not only see designs coming to life in the manufacturing environment but you can help to shape the design of these products to deliver support to our customers.

What we’re looking for from you

• Proven practical RF design, testing & Fault Finding of RF circuits down to component level across a wide frequency range including Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA’s), High Power Amplifiers (HPA’s), filters & attenuators, local oscillators, synthesisers, modulator design etc.
• Experience using RF design tools ( eg Microwave Office), including layout.
• Significant RF Test & Measurement experience including fault finding, RF calibration and measurement uncertainty is highly desirable and the proficient use of RF test equipment including Vector Network Analysers (VNA’s), Spectrum Analysers, Oscilloscopes & Power Meters etc.
• Experience in RF production test requirements and evaluation of correct implementation via test equipment.
• Excellent practical skills including soldering, designing and building development boards for proving activities etc.
• Good knowledge of digital, analogue and power supply design.
• Fully conversant with manufacturing techniques and capabilities, including design for manufacture and test.
• Strong communicator with excellent presentation and report writing skills.
• Able to communicate clearly any problems, solutions or results to various teams at all levels including Design Authorities, customers & Suppliers.
• Able to provide demonstrations and training to other support engineers.

Our company

Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given. MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom. We are proud of our employee‑led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more… We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.

What we do matters. Because defence matters. As a leading company in the defence industry we support our nations by delivering essential military capabilities, both for today and the future. We are proud to be an award‑winning employer and are proud of the growing diversity of our workforce. Our people are the ones who drive our constant innovation and deliver against challenging targets. Whatever your background, we welcome your application to MBDA UK and look forward to speaking with you soon.