Systems Engineer - Antenna/Electromagnetic - All Levels

Leonardo; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Lifelong learning

Job summary

Leonardo in Edinburgh is seeking an experienced Antenna/Electromagnetic Engineer to join a specialized team of 15 engineers. You will work across electromagnetic design, antenna test, simulation and analysis to support advanced phased array antennas for radar applications through the engineering lifecycle.

This role offers on-site work in Edinburgh, with formal and on-the-job training to grow your expertise in electromagnetics and antenna engineering, plus a clear path for career development

Qualifications

• Degree in a STEM subject (Physics, Mathematics, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, System Engineering or similar).
• Experience/ education in Electromagnetics: Antenna design/modelling/measurement, Computational Electromagnetic Modelling (CEM), RF design, Microwave engineering, LO/Stealth.
• Excellent numerical problem-solving skills and lateral thinking.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB to analyse results; other scripting languages acceptable.
• Ability to assimilate complex topics and communicate them clearly to teams.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to or lead R&D projects to advance design, simulation and measurement capabilities.
• Develop new or advance existing phased array antenna designs from concept to integration and test.
• Use EM simulation codes to analyse and optimise sensor placement on a stealth vehicle.
• Support antenna and electromagnetic measurement campaigns to validate models.
• Provide technical assessment and modelling to ensure compatibility with system performance.
• Collaborate with antenna test engineers to define procedures and report results in various formats.
• Contribute to planning and progress reporting for development and production tests.

Skills

Numerical problem-solving

MATLAB

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Master’s degree or PhD (preferred)

Tools

CST Microwave Studio

Job description

Job Description

Salary Range

Systems Engineer £38,000 to £48,000

Senior Systems Engineer £44,500 to £56,000

Principal Systems Engineer £53,500 to £68,000

Lead Systems Engineer £59,500 to £75,000

Your Impact

Leonardo is a world-class defence technology company in Edinburgh. We develop cutting edge Radars for the Eurofighter Typhoon and SAAB Gripen fighter jets, as well as Maritime and Airborne surveillance systems. We are also investors in innovation, undertaking all our own research to fuel our future products. We are recruiting talented, motivated engineers to join our growing team.

As an experienced Antenna/Electromagnetic Engineer, you will work within a specialist team of 15 highly motivated engineers covering electromagnetic design, antenna test, simulation and analysis to support the development of advanced phased array antennas for radar applications throughout the various stages of the engineering lifecycle.

This is a fantastic opportunity for your career to further develop your knowledge and expertise in all aspects of Electromagnetics and Antenna engineering. A mixture of formal and on-the-job training will be available to introduce new concepts and build on existing skills and experience.

Please note this position will require full-time attendance on-site in Edinburgh.

You will report to the Antenna Lead Technical Specialist and work within a team of 15 highly motivated engineers covering electromagnetic design, antenna test, simulation and analysis to support the development of advanced phased array antennas for radar applications through various stages of the engineering lifecycle.

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to or lead research and development projects to advance our design, simulation and measurement capabilities.
• Develop new or advance existing designs of phased array antenna systems from concept creation through supporting integration, test and analysis.
• Use various EM simulation codes to analyse and optimise the design and installation impacts of sensors on a ‘stealthy’ vehicle.
• Support Antenna and Electromagnetic measurement campaigns to validate models and designs.
• Technical assessment and modelling of system or subsystem design to ensure compatibility with overall system performance.
• Work with antenna test engineers to define test procedures, create test and analysis plans, report results in a variety of formats e.g. formal reports, automated reports and presentations.
• Contribute to the planning and progress reports of both development and production antenna test activities.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in a STEM subject (Physics, Mathematics, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, System Engineering, or another science-based subject).
• Experience / Education in at least one of the following areas of Electromagnetics: Antenna design/modelling/measurement, Computational Electromagnetic Modelling (CEM), Radio frequency (RF) design, Microwave engineering, Low Observables (LO) or Stealth Technology.
• Excellent numerical problem-solving skills and an aptitude for lateral thinking.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB to perform analysis of results. Knowledge of other scripting/programming languages may be considered if it suggests an easy adaptation to MATLAB.
• The ability to assimilate complicated topics quickly and possess strong communication skills to convey complex subjects to our teams.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to build effective relationships with engineers, managers, subject matter experts and customers.

It Would Be Nice Of You Also Had

• A master’s degree or PhD in a subject such as Physics, Antenna Design, Propagation, Electromagnetics, Microwave engineering, Data Analysis of measured data, etc.
• Experience in phased array antenna or microwave components measurement using standard RF test equipment (VNA, Spectrum Analyser, etc.).
• Working knowledge of CST Microwave Studio or similar commercial EM modelling tools.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location

GB - Edinburgh

Additional Locations

GB - Newcastle

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Onsite