Flexible working:
We offer a range of flexible working patterns, including offering full-time, part-time,
and compressed hours to support your individual needs. While homeworking isn’t
possible due to the nature of the role, we can offer flexibility, such as variations in
start and finish times, where business needs allow.
About us
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber, and security agency with a mission to keep the UK
safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse
and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect
the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and
fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on
teamwork.
The role
As a Senior Radio Frequency (RF) Antenna Design Engineer, you’ll work closely with
our Principal RF Engineer on RF antenna design, while also contributing to wider
electronic hardware design, research, and testing. As part of a mixed team of
software, hardware, and Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) engineers, you’ll
work on projects ranging from embedded antenna design to propagation modelling.
Responsibilities span component-level RF design involvement across the full
lifecycle from design to delivery, identifying and helping to mitigate technical risks,
and producing high-quality design and test documentation. You’ll also be involved in
hardware Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and system-level testing and verification,
contributing to future antenna and RF technique research, developing and
maintaining BASH/C wrapper helper scripts, and integrating with and testing a
variety of capabilities.
About you
You bring several years of experience in a similar role, preferably with practical
experience in component-level Antenna design. Your background may also include
working on matching networks, filter design, PA or LNA analysis and specification or
other component-level electronic design. You also have:
experience working with Vector Network Analysers and Smith Charts
the ability to engage internal and external customers and work with other
organisations
a proactive mindset, with the motivation to spot opportunities, adapt quickly
and learn new skills
experience in successfully delivering projects from design to delivery
Experience with scripting and basic coding (BASH, Python or C on Microcontrollers),
along with familiarity with Microsoft Office and ANSYS, is desirable but not essential.
We will provide comprehensive training to ensure you have the tools and knowledge
you need to succeed.
Training and development
The first three days of your time with us will be dedicated to a comprehensive
department induction, designed to help you understand how things work and who
does what.
At GCHQ, we’re committed to your growth and development. You’ll have dedicated
time and space for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement, with up
to 30% of your time available for personal development.
We’ll support your professional development, including opportunities to gain
accreditations such as Chartered Engineer (CEng) status if that’s the route you wish
to pursue. You’ll also be assigned a buddy who’ll provide guidance and support
throughout your time with us.
Your training and ongoing support will be tailored to you, as you’ll be working within a
small team where development can be shaped around your needs. While most
training is delivered in-house, we also offer regular opportunities to top up your
knowledge through external training providers.
You’ll have the chance to either mentor a junior colleague or be mentored by
someone more experienced, depending on what will best support your growth.
Your learning will draw on the broad expertise across the team, and you’ll also be
encouraged to identify additional courses or learning opportunities that help deepen
your knowledge in specific areas.
Throughout your career here, you’ll have continued access to the support and
resources needed to pursue relevant accreditations, ensuring you can grow in the
direction that’s right for you.
Rewards and benefits
We offer a competitive salary between £47,866 to £56,082, dependent on your skills
and experience. This includes a concessionary payment of £2,658 and a skills
payment. All successful candidates receive a one-off recruitment bonus of £3,500.
Other benefits include:
25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service,
and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
an interest-free season ticket loan
an excellent pension scheme
a cycle to work scheme
facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some
locations)
paid parental and adoption leave
Equal opportunities
At GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we
need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes
diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages,
ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with
disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage
applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented
in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people
with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website:
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and
Pensions ‘Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to
think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain,
and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that
a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential
minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to
do so. (This is known as Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role,
the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
evidence of successfully delivering a technical project or piece of work
extensive component-level RF or Antenna Design experience
experience with Vector Network Analysers and Smith Charts
experience engaging with a range of different stakeholders
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process
to enable you to do your best; see our website for information on reasonable
adjustments (link) we can offer.
What to expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief
overview of each stage, in order:
1. Application sift
2. Online Technical and Competency based interview, including a presentation
3. if successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to
the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received
your final job offer.
Before you apply
To work at GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality.
Read about our eligibility criteria.(Penna link to appropriate website Eligibility
sections)
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting
(DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find
out more about the vetting process. (PENNA link to org website vetting page).
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you
can’t take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare your previous drug
usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for
your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence
remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such
as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you
to manage your application with us more securely.
The role is based in Cheltenham, so you’ll need to live within a commutable
distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before
submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are
based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application.
Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application.
You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close
family member.