Senior Antenna Engineer

Gattaca; Enfield; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Gattaca is seeking a Senior Antenna Engineer to lead the research, design and testing of advanced antennas for radar and RF applications. You will work across concept, modelling and production support within a multidisciplinary team.

You will design and optimise microwave-frequency antennas, develop test strategies, and collaborate with systems, hardware, manufacturing, QA and supply chain to deliver robust antenna solutions for mission-critical systems.

Qualifications

• Proven design and development of microwave antennas.
• Experience with printed and waveguide antennas.
• Ability to model, test and optimise RF systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead antenna R&D activities for advanced RF and radar systems.
• Design, model, analyse and optimise microwave-frequency antennas.
• Maintain and improve existing designs, support upgrades and obsolescence.
• Develop verification and validation strategies for antenna products.
• Provide technical support across engineering, manufacturing, QA and supply chain.
• Support RF subsystem design and modelling activities.
• Contribute to production test facilities and methodologies.
• Investigate issues through root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Ensure processes and quality standards throughout design and manufacturing lifecycle.
• Produce technical documents, work package estimates and progress reports.

Skills

Antenna design

RF engineering

EM modelling

Test & measurement

Tools

Altair RF

MATLAB

Python

HFSS

Job description

Join a Team Developing World-Class Radar and RF Technology

We are seeking an experienced Senior Antenna Engineer to take a leading role in the research, design, development, and testing of advanced antenna systems used within sophisticated radar and surveillance applications.

This position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge RF and antenna technologies across the full product lifecycle, from concept development and modelling through to production support, verification, and continuous improvement.

Working within a multidisciplinary engineering environment, you will collaborate with systems, hardware, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams to deliver high-performance antenna solutions for complex mission-critical applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead antenna research and development activities for advanced RF and radar systems.
• Design, model, analyse, and optimise antenna solutions for microwave-frequency applications.
• Maintain and improve existing antenna designs, supporting product upgrades and obsolescence management.
• Develop requirements, specifications, verification, and validation strategies.
• Provide technical support across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, supplier, and customer interfaces.
• Support RF subsystem design and modelling activities.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of antenna production test facilities and methodologies.
• Investigate technical and manufacturing issues through root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Ensure engineering processes, procedures, and quality standards are maintained throughout the design and manufacturing lifecycle.
• Produce technical documentation, work package estimates, development plans, and progress reporting.

Essential Skills & Experience

Antenna & RF Engineering

• Proven experience in the design and development of printed and waveguide antennas operating at microwave frequencies.
• Strong understanding of practical antenna design considerations, including tolerance analysis and manufacturability.
• Experience designing, modelling, and testing:
• Printed antennas
• Slotted array antennas
• Phased and array antenna systems
• Waveguide antenna structures
• Strong knowledge of antenna theory and electromagnetic principles.
• Experience using antenna simulation and modelling software.

RF Design & Components

Experience selecting, specifying, designing, or integrating RF components including:

• Rotary joints
• RF filters
• Splitters
• Combiners

Knowledge of the operation and modelling of:

• High Power RF Amplifiers (HPA)
• Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA)
• Limiters
• Circulators
• Mixers
• Phase Locked Loop (PLL) systems

Test & Measurement

Practical experience using RF test equipment such as:

• Vector Network Analysers (VNA)
• Spectrum Analysers

Experience working within production and test environments including:

• Near-field scanning systems
• Compact antenna test ranges
• Anechoic chambers
• Antenna characterisation and verification testing

Engineering & Manufacturing

• Design for Manufacture (DfM) and Design for Test (DfT).
• Experience supporting production and manufacturing processes.
• Strong technical problem-solving and root cause analysis capabilities.
• Ability to manage technical work packages and deliver against project schedules.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated with a collaborative approach to engineering.

Desirable Experience

• Familiarity with industry-standard antenna design and electromagnetic simulation tools.
• Experience with Altair RF and antenna design software.
• Knowledge of radar systems and radar-related applications.
• Exposure to systems engineering methodologies and requirements management.
• Experience with radar system modelling and simulation.
• MATLAB and Python programming skills.
• Understanding of AI and machine learning applications within engineering environments.
• Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) knowledge.
• Experience with regulatory compliance requirements, including:
• FCC
• ITU
• ETSI standards

Why Apply?

This is an excellent opportunity to join an organisation developing advanced RF, antenna, and radar technologies within a highly technical engineering environment. You'll have the chance to contribute to cutting-edge products, work alongside experienced specialists, and play a key role in shaping future antenna and radar capabilities.

If you are passionate about microwave antenna design, RF systems, and advanced engineering innovation, we would be keen to hear from you.