Lead RF Design Engineer
Role: Lead RF Design Engineer
Location & Working Model: Based in Stevenage, typically 3 days per week on-site due to workload classification (hybrid working available).
Salary: Circa £75,000 (dependent on experience)
Join an award-winning European defence technology innovator, recently recognised among the Top Ten “Very Big” Employers in the UK for workplace excellence. This is a rare opportunity to take on a leadership role at the forefront of advanced RF and antenna design — driving world-class engineering solutions that help shape the future of defence systems.
What you’ll be doing:
• Lead and inspire a team of RF and antenna engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and technical excellence.
• Oversee the design and delivery of complex RF systems and sub-systems, ensuring projects meet demanding performance, cost, and schedule objectives.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and technical guidance, supporting engineers across multiple projects and work packages.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams — including systems, hardware, and project management — to integrate RF solutions into wider product architectures.
• Contribute to system architecture discussions and champion best practices in RF design, testing, and verification.
• Work alongside other Team Leads, Technical Experts, and Group Leads to drive capability growth within the function and define future technical strategy.
What we’re looking for:
Essential:
• Proven experience leading and delivering complex RF design programmes within a multidisciplinary environment.
• Strong practical knowledge of RF circuit design and testing across a wide frequency range (approx. 30 MHz – 30 GHz).
• Hands-on experience with components such as LNAs, HPAs, filters, local oscillators, synthesisers, and modulators.
• Working knowledge of digital, analogue, and power supply design principles.
• Competence with RF and antenna design tools (e.g. Microwave Office, HFSS), including layout.
• Solid understanding of modern radio transceiver system architectures.
• Awareness of manufacturing and testing processes, including design for manufacture and test (DFM/DFT).
• Strong project management and planning skills (Excel, Primavera P6, or MS Project advantageous).
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
Desirable:
• Experience working within the defence, aerospace, or communications sector.
• Background in mentoring and developing engineering talent.
• Ability to balance hands-on technical leadership with high-level strategic input.
What’s in it for you:
• Bonus potential up to 21% of base salary.
• Pension scheme with total contributions up to 14%.
• Flexible working arrangements and support for compressed hours.
• Enhanced parental leave – up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave, plus enhanced paternity, neonatal and fertility treatment leave.
• Excellent site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and more.
Lead some of the UK’s most advanced RF design projects in a world-class engineering environment — where innovation, leadership, and impact go hand in hand.
For further information feel free to reach me at 02895213213, or simply apply!
Reference: AMC/RKI