Senior Advanced Wireless/ RF Engineer

Team Jobs - Strategic Accounts; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Team Jobs - Strategic Accounts is seeking a Senior Advanced Wireless / RF Engineer to design and develop RF hardware for aerospace and space communications. You will work on UHF to Ka Band systems, contributing to circuit design, simulations and verifications.

The role requires hands-on experience with LNAs, SSPAs, mixers and PLLs, plus expertise in RF testing, link budgets and system analysis. A collaborative, autonomous engineer will thrive in a dynamic project environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years' industrial RF/microwave hardware development experience.
• Proven track record in design, development and testing of active RF circuits and communication systems.
• Strong understanding of RF system analysis including link budgets, noise figure and frequency synthesis.
• Extensive hands-on experience with RF measurements and hardware troubleshooting.
• Ability to deliver engineering solutions from requirements through to implementation and verification.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop RF hardware for communication systems from UHF to Ka Band.
• Develop active RF circuits including LNAs, SSPAs, drivers, mixers, frequency converters, and PLLs.
• Perform RF architecture trade-offs, link budget calculations, RF line-up analysis, and noise figure assessments.
• Develop RF schematics, select components and support PCB layout.
• Conduct RF simulations using AWR, ADS, CST, HFSS and MATLAB.
• Perform RF testing and verification using VNAs, spectrum analyzers and power meters.
• Support environmental and qualification testing (EMI/EMC, thermal, vibration).
• Produce high-quality technical documentation and verification reports.
• Collaborate with product owners and project engineers to support milestones.
• Take ownership of RF solutions from requirements to delivery.

Skills

RF & Microwave Engineering

Active RF circuit design

Microwave hardware design

RF system analysis

UHF to Ka Band

LNAs

SSPAs

PLL design

RF measurements

RF testing

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications, RF Engineering or related

Tools

AWR Microwave Office

Keysight ADS

CST Studio Suite

Ansys HFSS

MATLAB

Job description

Senior Advanced Wireless / RF Engineer - Aerospace & Space Communications

Design and develop advanced RF technologies for next-generation communication systems.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Advanced Wireless / RF Engineer to join an innovative engineering team, contributing to the design, development, integration and qualification of advanced radio frequency (RF) hardware for mission-critical communication systems.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled RF engineer with strong hands-on experience in microwave hardware development, active RF circuit design and system-level analysis. You will work across a broad frequency range, from UHF to Ka Band, supporting telemetry, telecommand and satellite datalink applications.

The successful candidate will take technical ownership of complex RF engineering activities, working closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams, product owners, project engineers and customers to deliver high-performance, reliable communication solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop RF hardware for communication systems operating from UHF to Ka Band, supporting telemetry, telecommand and datalink applications.
• Design and develop active RF circuits, including Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs), driver amplifiers, mixers, frequency converters, frequency synthesizers and Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs).
• Perform RF architecture trade-offs, link budget calculations, RF line-up analysis, gain and noise analysis, linearity assessments and dynamic range calculations.
• Develop RF schematics, undertake component selection and support PCB layout and design activities.
• Conduct RF simulations and modelling using tools such as AWR, ADS, CST, HFSS and MATLAB.
• Perform RF testing, measurement, troubleshooting and performance verification using VNAs, spectrum analysers, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes and noise figure analysers.
• Support environmental and qualification testing, including EMI/EMC, thermal vacuum, vibration and shock testing.
• Investigate, diagnose and resolve RF performance issues throughout development, integration and production.
• Produce high-quality technical documentation, including design reports, test procedures, verification reports and design review materials.
• Work closely with product owners and project engineers to support product development, technical delivery and project milestones.
• Support customer technical interactions, engineering discussions and formal design reviews.
• Take ownership of RF engineering solutions from initial requirements and architecture through to implementation, integration and delivery.

Technical Skills & Expertise

• RF & Microwave Engineering
• Active RF circuit and microwave hardware design.
• RF system architecture and line-up analysis.
• UHF to Ka Band communication systems.
• LNAs, SSPAs, mixers, frequency converters and synthesizers.
• PLL design and phase noise analysis.
• RF gain, noise figure, linearity and dynamic range optimisation.
• RF System Analysis
• RF link budget calculations.
• Transmitter and receiver performance analysis.
• Linearity, intermodulation and Error Vector Magnitude (EVM).
• Noise figure, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Bit Error Rate (BER).
• Receiver sensitivity and phase noise analysis.
• Frequency synthesis and RF performance optimisation.

Simulation & Design Tools

• AWR Microwave Office.
• Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS).
• CST Studio Suite.
• Ansys HFSS.
• MATLAB.
• RF schematic development and PCB design support tools.

Test & Measurement Equipment

• Vector Network Analysers (VNAs).
• Spectrum analysers.
• Signal generators.
• RF power meters.
• Oscilloscopes.
• Noise figure analysers.
• RF measurement, characterisation and debugging equipment.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications, RF Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of five years' industrial experience in RF and microwave hardware development.
• Proven track record in the design, development and testing of active RF circuits and communication systems.
• Strong understanding of RF system analysis, including link budgets, RF line-up, noise figure, linearity, intermodulation, phase noise and frequency synthesis.
• Extensive hands-on experience with RF measurements, test equipment and hardware troubleshooting.
• Demonstrable experience developing and delivering engineering solutions from initial requirements through to implementation and verification.
• Ability to work independently on complex technical challenges with minimal supervision.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and technical documentation skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities, with a commitment to engineering excellence and continuous learning.

Desirable Experience - We Value

• Experience within the aerospace, defence or space industries, particularly on mission-critical RF applications.
• Background in telemetry, telecommand and satellite communication systems.
• Familiarity with Software Defined Radio (SDR) architectures and digital communication systems.
• Understanding of advanced radio architectures, including FPGA-based systems and high-speed digital interfaces.
• Experience with RF system lifecycle management, qualification and product certification processes.
• Knowledge of EMI/EMC requirements and environmental qualification testing.
• Experience participating in formal engineering design reviews, including SRR, PDR, CDR and TRR.
• Strong technical ownership and accountability, with experience taking RF designs from initial development through integration and final delivery.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams while maintaining ownership of individual technical deliverables.
• Structured problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve complex RF and system-level engineering challenges.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and delivering high-quality engineering solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Why Join This Mission?

• Work on advanced RF and wireless technologies supporting next-generation aerospace and space communication systems.
• Take technical ownership of complex RF hardware development projects.
• Work across a broad frequency spectrum, from UHF through to Ka Band.
• Collaborate with experienced engineers across RF, digital, software and systems disciplines.
• Contribute to innovative, mission-critical communication solutions.
• Play a key role in developing, integrating and qualifying advanced communication hardware.

Working Hours: Monday to Thursday 8.15am - 5pm and Friday 8.15am - 1pm

Contract: Up to 12 months

Any offer is subject to full BPSS* Screening (*Baseline Personnel Security Standard), including proof of Legal Right to Work, Criminal Records Check, and Drugs Screening.

TJSTR