RF Design Engineer

Sanderson
Southampton, United Kingdom
Last month
£60,000 – £90,000 pa
Applications closed

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Salary

£60,000 – £90,000 pa

Job Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full-time
Work Location
On-site
Seniority
Mid
Education
Degree
Security Clearance
Required
Posted
20 Apr 2026 (Last month)
RF Design Engineer

Defence & National Security Programmes

The Opportunity

This organisation is atrusted engineering partner delivering advanced technology solutions across national security, defence, and adjacent high-assurance domains. Working closely with end customers, teams tackle complex, real-world challenges where performance, reliability, and innovation genuinely matter.

Projects are deliberately varied. You may find yourself:

  • Rapidly prototyping novel technical approaches, or
  • Enhancing, evolving, and hardening existing solutions for deployment in demanding environments

As a result, this role suits engineers who enjoyapplying their expertise across different problem spaces, technologies, and project phases.

You'll be part of astimulating, collaborative, and highly driven engineering team that values autonomy, technical excellence, and shared purpose. Depending on the programme, there are opportunities to support customer demonstrations, trials, and acceptance activities - providing real visibility of your work in action.

The Role

We're seeking an experienced and motivatedRF Design Engineer to contribute to the development ofcutting-edge RF and analogue electronics for defence-focused and electromagnetic systems.

This role blendshands-on technical delivery with opportunities to influence projects, support technical leadership, and mentor others within the team.

What You'll Do

As an RF Design Engineer, you will:

  • Design, simulate, and implement RF and analogue electronic circuits and systems for defence-related applications, including areas such as electromagnetic systems, resilient positioning and timing, and survivability
  • Integrate, test, troubleshoot, and debug RF and analogue electronics to optimise performance characteristics such as impedance matching, VSWR, bandwidth, and stability
  • Participate indesign reviews, providing constructive technical challenge and input to improve solutions
  • Produce and maintainhigh-quality technical documentation, including design specifications, test plans, and compliance evidence
  • Support theTechnical Lead, contributing to activities such as risk management and technical input to customer discussions
  • Provideguidance and mentorship to junior engineers, supporting professional development across the team
  • Collaborate proactively with stakeholders across engineering disciplines and project delivery functions
  • Work in line with establishedengineering, quality, and development processes
Technical & Leadership Expectations

We're looking for someone who demonstrates:

  • Strongproblem-solving and analytical skills
  • Clear, confidenttechnical communication and organisation
  • An ability to fosterindustry standards, best practices, and safety compliance within agile delivery environments
  • Confidence engaging with stakeholders, including technical specialists and non-technical audiences
  • The ability to work bothindependently and collaboratively, adapting to project needs
Project & Delivery Focus

You will:

  • Deliver engineering activitieson time, on budget, and to defined quality standards
  • Provide accurate estimates of effort and complexity, identifying technical risks early
  • Support the definition and achievement ofproject goals and milestones
  • Work closely with Project Managers, Systems Engineers, and Design Authorities to translate requirements into actionable engineering tasks
Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
  • Collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams
  • Contribute to apositive, high-performance engineering culture
  • Identify opportunities to improve engineering processes, tools, and ways of working
  • Proactively propose and implement improvements that enhance efficiency and quality
Desirable Technical Experience

Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

  • RF and microwave design fromLF through to X-band
  • Design oflow-noise amplifiers, receivers, and high-power amplifiers
  • Use ofRF simulation and modelling tools (e.g. Microwave Office)
  • PCB design using professional CAD tools (e.g. Altium)
  • Designing solutions withvery low SWaP-C constraints
  • RF design forharsh or constrained environments (EMC, vibration, thermal)
  • Transitioning hardware from development intoproduction and qualification
  • Hands-on use of RF test equipment including spectrum analysers, vector analysers, signal generators, power meters, and related instrumentation
Qualifications & Security
  • Degree-qualified in Electronics Engineering (or equivalent practical experience)
  • Relevant experience in RF or analogue electronic design
  • Due to the nature of the work, applicants must beeligible and willing to undergo UK security clearance

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason,please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.

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