About the Organisation:
Our client is an established, high-technology electronics and engineering business headquartered in Oxfordshire, operating across commercial, government, and defence markets. The organisation designs, manufactures, and delivers advanced RF, fibre optic, and sensing systems for applications including satellite ground stations, broadcast infrastructure, secure communications, and defence platforms.
With a workforce of approximately 80 and a dedicated engineering team of 30, the business has achieved consistent and strong financial growth in recent years. As part of a larger, well-capitalised parent group, the organisation benefits from increased investment and expanded market access whilst retaining operational autonomy, agility, and an entrepreneurial culture. The company holds Gold Investors in People accreditation and is certified to ISO 9001.
Role Overview:
Production test capability has become increasingly critical to the organisation's operational strategy. Over the past 18–24 months, the business has transitioned from smaller, transactional build programmes into the delivery of larger, more complex subsystem solutions with significantly higher expectations around test rigour, first-time pass rates, and manufacturing readiness. This role has been created to establish dedicated RF test authority within Operations as the business continues to scale.
The Production RF Test Engineer will serve as the technical authority for RF, microwave, and RF-over-Fibre testing within the production environment, working as part of a multidisciplinary operations team. The role requires close collaboration with Engineering, NPI, and Quality disciplines to ensure that RF products are tested correctly, consistently, and efficiently across all stages of the production process.
This is a hands-on production role focused on test ownership and continuous improvement, rather than a design or R&D position, though regular interaction with the engineering team is integral to the work.
Key Responsibilities:
* Diagnose and resolve complex RF/microwave test failures within production
* Serve as the primary escalation point for test technicians, reducing disruption to the Engineering team and shortening time-to-resolution
* Perform advanced RF/microwave analysis using VNAs, spectrum analysers, power meters, and related RF instrumentation
* Act as the technical authority for NPI from a production-test perspective, including acceptance and validation of new test solutions, fixtures, and automated test programmes
* Ensure test methods are reliable, repeatable, and capable of supporting production throughput
* Make informed decisions on product acceptance, test limit changes, and concessions within controlled processes
* Stabilise and maintain existing adapted test rigs, fix calibration issues, and replace short-term fixes with engineered, documented solutions
* Strengthen test methods, fixtures, and automated programmes, reducing manual intervention and consolidating current workarounds into stable, repeatable solutions
* Collaborate with Engineering, NPI, and Quality teams to address recurring issues and drive continuous improvement
* Produce clear documentation, troubleshooting guides, and improved production test processes
* Analyse test data to identify trends, root causes, and operational improvement opportunities
* Own key metrics including first-time pass rate, test failure rate, and recurrence elimination
Initial Project Scope:
During the first 6–12 months, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to work including:
* Stabilisation of the existing production test environment, including calibration improvements and documentation of current test rigs
* Root cause analysis and resolution of recurring RF and RF-over-Fibre test failures on the production floor
* Review and improvement of existing LabVIEW-based automated test programmes
* Establishment of first-line technical support processes for the test technician team
* Engagement with NPI programmes to validate new test solutions ahead of volume build
* Definition and implementation of key production test metrics and data-led improvement processes
Essential Skills and Experience:
* Degree or HNC/HND in Electronics, RF, Microwave Engineering, or equivalent experience
* 10+ years of hands-on RF/microwave testing or RF diagnostics experience in a production environment
* Experience with RF-over-Fibre or photonics-based products
* Proficiency with VNAs, spectrum analysers, signal generators, and related RF test tools
* Strong understanding of RF theory and RF/microwave system performance parameters including gain, P1dB, VSWR, and noise figure
* Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills
Desirable Skills and Experience:
* Familiarity with automated test systems including LabVIEW, TestStand, or Python
* Exposure to NPI or sustaining engineering environments
* Experience producing and maintaining technical documentation, troubleshooting guides, and test process records
* Data analysis skills with the ability to identify trends and drive evidence-based improvement
* Candidates who are Chartered Engineers, or are actively working towards Chartered Engineer registration, are encouraged to apply
Person Specification:
Technical competence is essential; however, the organisation places equal emphasis on professional mindset. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong hands-on diagnostic capability, a decisive and analytical approach, and the ability to take genuine ownership of production test performance. They will be approachable, patient, and naturally inclined to share knowledge — supporting and developing entry-level technicians whilst building broader team capability. Candidates from RF, microwave, or adjacent electronics disciplines who bring deep practical experience and a collaborative, continuous-improvement mindset are particularly welcome.
Remuneration and Benefits:
* Highly competitive base salary
* Company bonus scheme
* Share Incentive Plan
* Defined contribution pension plan
* Group Life Insurance at 4x basic annual salary
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Wellbeing application and retail discount scheme
* Cycle-to-work scheme
* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell additional days
Eligibility Requirements:
Candidates must hold a minimum of five years of continuous residency in the United Kingdom and are ideally required to be a UK Sole National. This is a condition of employment due to the nature of the work undertaken by the organisation.
This appointment is being managed exclusively by a specialist recruitment consultancy on behalf of the client organisation. Interested candidates are invited to apply via LinkedIn or to contact the recruiting consultant directly for a confidential discussion.