Lead RF Engineer

Lead RF Engineer (RF, Microwave and mmWave Design)

County Durham | Hybrid WFH

£75,000 to £85,000 | Visa Sponsorship | Relocation Package

If you’ve spent your career coaxing performance out of RF and microwave circuits, you know your way round a line up analysis like the back of your hand, and you’re ready to set the technical direction rather than simply follow it, then read on.

A client of KO2’s, a growing and ambitious engineering business in County Durham, is looking for a Lead RF Engineer to take the technical reins on RF and millimetre wave design. Whilst much of the market is in a holding pattern, this business is very much going places: investing in people, facilities and new product development, in one of the few sectors genuinely on the up.

What really matters

Two things, above all else. Firstly, deep, practical RF and mmWave design expertise: specification, simulation, realisation and verification, all done properly with tools such as Microwave Office, ADS, CST or EMPro. Secondly, the nous and temperament to lead: guiding and developing other engineers, owning the technical calls, and shaping best practice across the team.

Your remit

• Leading the design of RF and mmWave circuits, modules and complete systems, from blank page to production
• Owning the technical side of specification, simulation, build and verification
• Carrying out system line up, tolerance and yield analysis, with design for manufacture baked in from day one
• Selecting components, ICs and MMICs, and liaising with suppliers where needed
• Mentoring and supporting the engineers around you
• Working closely with electronics, mechanical, PCB layout, production and test colleagues to deliver robust designs
• Running design reviews and keeping technical risk firmly in check
• Producing and reviewing design documentation: logbooks, data packs, peer reviews and release information
• Supporting verification and validation, reliability testing, and fault finding through product introduction and into production
• Keeping projects on track for performance, schedule and cost

What you’ll bring

• A degree in RF, Microwave, Electronics or Communications Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Significant, hands on RF or mmWave circuit and system design experience
• Proficiency with RF simulation tools such as Microwave Office, CST, EMPro or ADS
• A strong grasp of microwave circuit design, line up analysis, tolerance and yield, and design for manufacture
• Experience of leading technical work and bringing on less experienced engineers
• A practical, no nonsense approach to solving problems and getting product out of the door
• The ability to communicate clearly with engineering, manufacturing and project teams alike
• Experience designing transceivers, amplifiers, filters, modules or subsystems would be a real feather in your cap.

The package in a nutshell

A basic salary of £75,000 to £85,000, which sits at the sharp end of the market for RF leadership in the North East, and that’s entirely deliberate. Day to day, it’s a 37.5 hour week with hybrid working, plus 25 days’ holiday and bank holidays, with extra leave available to buy. Looking further ahead, there’s a strong employer pension contribution and a share scheme giving you a stake in the company’s growth, alongside life cover and income protection for peace of mind. Throw in an electric car scheme, cycle to work, a paid day to volunteer and a real investment in your development, and it adds up to considerably more than the basic. If you’re relocating, from elsewhere in the UK or from overseas, there’s support with the move and Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for the right person.