RF Engineer

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Stroud; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd is seeking a Mid-Level RF Engineer for defence and space projects in Stroud, Gloucestershire. You will design, test and optimise low-power radio links and mesh networks, balancing range, power and data rate for battery-powered sensor nodes.

In a small, hands-on team, you’ll perform bench work, field trials and customer demonstrations, write clear test reports, and contribute to EMI/regulatory compliance while collaborating with embedded, hardware and AI

Qualifications

• Degree in electronic engineering, physics or related subject, or equivalent experience.
• Mid-level RF/wireless engineering experience.
• Strong knowledge of low-power radio design and protocols (BLE, Thread, Zigbee, LoRa or similar).
• Practical mesh networking experience with routing and multi-hop concepts.
• Experience with RF test equipment and bench debugging.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for field trials and demonstrations.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and optimise low-power RF hardware and radio links for small, battery-powered sensor nodes.
• Develop and improve mesh networking routing, multi-hop performance, latency and resilience.
• Carry out link budget analysis and range planning; help select antennas, bands and radio modules.
• Support RF front-end and antenna design, PCB layout reviews, and bench tuning.
• Test and characterise radio performance in lab and field using spectrum analysers, VNAs and signal generators.
• Work with embedded, hardware and AI teams to balance range, data rate and power within size, weight and power limits.
• Support field trials and customer demonstrations, deploying units and diagnosing link issues on site.
• Write clear test reports and technical documentation; support EMC and regulatory compliance.

Skills

RF/Wireless engineering

Low-power radio design

Mesh networking

RF test equipment

Antenna fundamentals

SC clearance eligibility

Education

Electronics degree or related

Tools

Spectrum analyser

Vector Network Analyzer (VNA)

Signal generator

Job description

RF Engineer (Mid-Level) - Low-Power Radio & Mesh Networks

Location: Stroud, Gloucestershire

Salary: Up to £55,000

Security: BPSS before start; eligibility for UK SC clearance required

KO2 is recruiting on behalf of a fast-growing engineering scale-up working on defence and space projects.

As a RF Engineer, you’ll help design, test and improve the low-power radio links and mesh networks behind those systems. It's a hands‑on role in a small, close team: bench work, field trials and customer demonstrations, with real users and real deadlines.

Key responsibilities

• Design, develop and optimise low-power RF hardware and radio links for small, battery-powered sensor nodes


• Develop and improve mesh networking, including routing, multi‑hop performance, latency and resilience


• Carry out link budget analysis and range planning, and help choose antennas, bands and radio modules


• Support RF front‑end and antenna design, PCB layout reviews, and matching and tuning on the bench


• Test and characterise radio performance in the lab and field using spectrum analysers, VNAs and signal generators


• Work with embedded, hardware and AI teams to balance range, data rate and power within tight size, weight and power limits


• Support field trials and customer demonstrations, including deploying units and diagnosing link issues on site


• Write clear test reports and technical documentation, and support EMC and regulatory compliance

Essential skills and experience

• Degree in electronic engineering, physics or a related subject, or equivalent experience


• Solid commercial experience in RF or wireless engineering at mid level


• Strong understanding of low-power radio design and protocols such as BLE, IEEE #removed#, Thread, Zigbee, LoRa or proprietary sub‑GHz systems


• Practical mesh networking experience, including topology, routing and multi‑hop behaviour


• Confident with RF test equipment and bench debugging


• Good knowledge of antenna fundamentals, impedance matching and link budgets


• Ability to achieve SC clearance, if you already hold it even better.


• Willing to travel occasionally for field trials and demonstrationsDesirable

Desirable

• Experience with low‑power wireless SoCs


• Embedded firmware in C or C++ for radio stacks


• RF simulation and PCB design tools


• Defence, security or space project experience


• Designing for harsh or remote outdoor environments