RF & High‑Reliability Mechanical Design Engineer

Filtronic Plc; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary benchmarked

37.5h week

25 days holiday + holidays

Pension scheme

Life Assurance

Income Protection Insurance

SAYE share scheme

EV scheme

Cycle to Work

Volunteering day

Learning and development

Job summary

Filtronic Plc is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to join our team, developing high-frequency RF and microwave products from concept through volume production. You will design robust assemblies, optimize thermal performance, and ensure manufacturability for aerospace, defence and space-related applications.

Responsibilities include creating SolidWorks CAD models, performing CFD/FEA analyses, and collaborating with RF and PCB teams to refine mechanical features that impact RF performance.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering.
• Strong 2D and 3D CAD skills, with SolidWorks preferred.
• Experience designing high-precision mechanical assemblies for demanding environments.
• Understanding of PCB integration, RF shielding and EMI/EMC considerations.
• Strong understanding of materials and manufacturing processes, including CNC machining of aluminium alloys and lightweight structures.
• Excellent understanding of GD&T and engineering drawing standards.
• Experience developing drawings for machined, cast, moulded, punched or sheet metal parts.
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional engineering teams.
• Experience with PDM/PLM systems and engineering change processes.
• Must be a highly motivated individual able to interface effectively with internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Design precision mechanical components and assemblies for RF modules and systems, including lightweight structural enclosures, heatsinks, liquid cooling solutions and waveguide-based architectures.
• Develop modular mechanical architectures suitable for integration into larger payload or system-level assemblies, considering mass, volume, mounting interfaces and serviceability.
• Ensure designs meet RF, thermal, mechanical and environmental requirements, including EMI shielding, structural stiffness, tolerance control, CTE compatibility, vibration, shock and ingress protection.
• Create detailed 3D CAD models and engineering drawings using SolidWorks.
• Select appropriate materials, finishes and manufacturing processes to support product performance, reliability and manufacturability.
• Perform thermal analysis and simulation, including CFD and conjugate heat transfer, to validate cooling strategies for high-power RF amplifiers and electronic assemblies.
• Conduct structural and dynamic analysis using FEA for vibration, shock, fatigue and other load‑case conditions typical of high-reliability payload deployment.
• Review mechanical properties of parts and assemblies, including thermal performance, mechanical stress and environmental robustness.
• Validate simulation models through physical testing and correlation with measured data.
• Work closely with RF, electronics and systems engineers to optimise mechanical features that influence RF performance, including cavity geometry, surface finish, plating, tolerances and material selection.
• Design mechanical solutions with consideration for waveguide structures, micro‑machined geometry, PCB integration and precision alignment.
• Support electromechanical product concept design in collaboration with RF, electronics and PCB design teams.
• Develop designs for manufacturability, assembly and cost reduction using processes including CNC machining, die‑casting, additive manufacturing and sheet metal manufacture.
• Generate manufacturing documentation including bills of materials, GD&T drawings and assembly instructions.
• Manage and control engineering drawings and documentation in accordance with Drawing Office standards and company processes.
• Support suppliers and production teams during prototype build, first article approval and continuous improvement activity.
• Contribute to design reviews as part of the company's ISO and NPI processes.
• Support engineering change activity through ECN/ECO processes.
• Support the build and test of mechanical prototypes and development hardware.
• Support environmental and reliability testing including thermal cycling, humidity, vibration, thermal shock and drop testing.
• Work with test and process engineering to develop production hardware, jigs and fixtures to optimise build and test efficiency.
• Provide technical support to internal stakeholders, customers and external partners throughout the product lifecycle.

Skills

2D CAD

3D CAD

GD&T

RF/EMI considerations

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

PDM/PLM systems

Job description

Filtronic Plc is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer to join our team, developing high-frequency RF and microwave products from concept through volume production. You will design robust assemblies, optimize thermal performance, and ensure manufacturability for aerospace, defence and space-related applications.

Responsibilities include creating SolidWorks CAD models, performing CFD/FEA analyses, and collaborating with RF and PCB teams to refine mechanical features that impact RF performance.