Systems Test Engineer (RF)

MASS; Little Paxton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25 days + Christmas shut

Private medical insurance

Pension schemes

Wellbeing allowance

Cycle to work

Car leasing

Share Save

Discounts

Job summary

MASS invites applications for a Systems Test Engineer (RF) in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. This on-site role sits in the EWOS group with 60+ specialists, delivering lab-based RF test and trials against modern electronic warfare platforms.

Salary £38,000–£48,000 with pension, private medical insurance and wellbeing benefits. You will set up test environments, execute trials, record results and report findings, working closely with senior engineers and SMEs to ensure safe, repeatable outcomes and

Qualifications

• 2+ years hands-on experience supporting or delivering test, trials, integration or verification activity in a lab, workshop, or representative system environment.
• Ability to follow and contribute to clear procedures and checklists and work methodically with guidance to deliver safe, repeatable outcomes.
• Practical knowledge of test and measurement equipment and bench practices (oscilloscope, spectrum analysis, power measurement) and recording results.

Responsibilities

• Support practical preparation of trials: set up equipment, prepare data and documentation, ensure tools and safety controls are in place.
• During trials, implement technical tasks, follow procedures, record configurations and maintain traceable results.
• Contribute to post-activity reporting, capture results and evidence, and raise issues promptly.

Skills

RF testing

Lab trials

Networking basics

RF fundamentals

Documentation

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Education

STEM degree

Tools

Oscilloscope

Spectrum analyzer

Power measurement

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Systems Test Engineer (RF) – St Neots (PE19) | Permanent | On-site

£38,000 - £48,000

• 25 days annual leave inclusive of up to 3 days Christmas shut-down
• Buy or sell up to 5 days’ annual leave
• Annual Wellbeing allowance
• Two pension schemes to choose from
• Private Medical Insurance + discounts for additional family members
• Life Assurance scheme up to 4 x salary
• Share Save scheme
• Electric/Hybrid Car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Retail discounts
• Career development support

Come and join our expanding Electronic Warfare Operations Support Group (EWOS) which is made up of 60+ electronic warfare specialists. From all manner of backgrounds, our engineers, scientists, and ex-military personnel combine their experience to help our customers achieve true operational potential and help keep their people and platforms safe.

We are expanding our team to plan and deliver complex test and trials activity within our state-of-the-art test and evaluation facility at our head office in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, in response to increasing programme demand and a higher cadence of delivery. In this role you will be a hands‑on member of the trials team, supporting the preparation, execution and reporting of laboratory‑based test and trials activity, implementing the technical tasks required to deliver controlled, traceable and high‑quality outcomes.

If you enjoy wargaming‑style problem solving, you’ll get to help bring realistic, controlled EW scenarios to life in the lab—configuring threat representations, running repeatable trial runs, and seeing how systems perform under pressure. It’s hands‑on, collaborative work that blends RF test craft with mission‑context thinking, always within safe systems of work and agreed governance.

This is a technical, practical role requiring test‑bench instrumentation skills, networking fundamentals for lab set‑ups, and RF theory basics. You’ll use these to support safe and effective trial execution, with guidance from senior engineers and SMEs when needed.

Key responsibilities include supporting the practical preparation of trials: helping to set up equipment and test environments, checking asset readiness, preparing data and documentation, and ensuring that the right tools, access and safety controls are in place before activity starts.

During trials, you will implement technical tasks, following agreed procedures and checklists, operating test equipment safely, and recording configuration details (e.g., versions/configuration items) so results remain traceable and repeatable.

You will support laboratory‑based trials from preparation and execution through to post‑activity reporting. This includes capturing results and evidence, raising issues promptly, supporting fault‑finding and re‑test activity, and contributing to clear, timely reporting to enable customer decisions.

You will work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, with support to develop your capability through day‑to‑day coaching, structured feedback, and opportunities to broaden your experience across projects and trial activities.

Working within our on‑site MASS teams (in‑house specialist engineering and support teams), you will contribute to major projects by delivering high‑quality trial execution and evidence. Working under the guidance of the Senior Systems Test & Trials Lead and alongside the Principal Test & Trials Engineer, you’ll help ensure trials are aligned with agreed engineering standards and priorities. You will engage with customers and internal stakeholders to understand objectives and acceptance criteria, communicate progress, and maintain disciplined documentation.

Essential

At least 2 years’ hands‑on experience supporting or delivering test, trials, integration, commissioning or verification activity in a laboratory, workshop, or representative system environment.

Able to follow and contribute to clear procedures and checklists, and work methodically with guidance to deliver safe, repeatable outcomes.

Practical working knowledge of common test and measurement equipment and bench practices (e.g. oscilloscope use, spectrum analysis basics, signal generation basics, power measurement): making safe connections, setting ranges/levels, and recording/spot‑checking results.

Networking fundamentals sufficient to support lab set‑ups and basic troubleshooting (e.g. reading connection diagrams, cabling and physical interfaces, IP addressing/subnet basics, and knowing when to involve network SMEs for complex issues).

RF fundamentals to support RF‑adjacent testing (e.g. frequency/bandwidth, power levels, dB/dBm, attenuation/loss, interference awareness) and the ability to follow safe RF handling procedures.

Strong practical engineering mindset: comfortable with hands‑on set‑up, basic fault‑finding, and re‑test activity, escalating to SMEs when required.

Good organisation and evidence capture skills: recording results, configurations and observations clearly, and maintaining accurate trial notes and evidence packs.

Able to work effectively in a multi‑disciplinary team (hardware/software/networks), communicate progress and issues clearly, and take direction when priorities change.

Safety‑conscious approach: able to work within safe systems of work, identify hazards, and stop/escalate when controls are unclear.

Some exposure to Electronic Warfare (EW) (through industry, military, or adjacent programmes) or a demonstrated ability to learn new mission and threat domains quickly.

Desirable

Experience using planning and documentation tools (e.g. Jira/Confluence, Excel trackers) to manage actions, evidence and outputs.

Working knowledge of test governance concepts (e.g. acceptance criteria, test cases, V&V, readiness reviews) and how to apply them in practice.

Experience writing or improving repeatable procedures, checklists and safe systems of work.

Experience with configuration and document control (e.g. controlled document repositories, version control) and maintaining traceable records.

Broader networking experience (e.g. VLAN configuration, routing changes, or deeper troubleshooting) and confidence coordinating with network SMEs to resolve set‑up issues quickly.

Experience working in a delivery environment with changing priorities, and supporting multiple stakeholders.

Broader EW domain experience (e.g. threat/mission context, sensor/effector integration, or EW test & evaluation) and an understanding of how effects can be represented and assessed.

Experience coordinating with internal support functions (e.g. facilities, security, IT) to enable test and trials activity.

STEM degree (or equivalent experience) with strong practical engineering mindset.

Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our people are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive employee assistance programme.

Non‑negotiables

• A UK National and eligible to work in the UK
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a UK Government SC‑level security clearance