Principal RF Systems Engineer
1 day ago
Cambridge
🚀 Principal RF Systems Engineer | Advanced Wireless Test & Measurement We’re a specialist engineering team developing next-generation RF analysis and measurement platforms used to design, validate, and characterise cutting-edge wireless systems. Our work sits at the intersection of RF hardware, digital design, FPGA engineering, embedded systems, and signal processing — building sophisticated instrumentation from first principles rather than iterating on existing tools. We’re looking for a Principal RF Systems Engineer to take a leading role in shaping the architecture of new wireless test platforms. This is a hands-on technical leadership position with broad scope across system design, implementation, and validation. 📍 Hybrid (UK-based, Cambridge area) | Flexible working with in-office collaboration required 🔧 What you’ll be doing • Defining RF and mixed-signal system architectures for new measurement and analysis platforms, • Designing high-performance RF and digital hardware systems operating at GHz frequencies, • Contributing across FPGA, DSP, firmware, or embedded software development where needed, • Leading prototype bring-up, debugging, and system-level validation, • Developing calibration and characterisation approaches for RF performance, • Working closely with cross-disciplinary engineers across RF, digital, software, and signal processing domains, • Providing technical leadership and mentoring within the engineering team, • Driving innovation in wireless test and measurement technology 🎯 What we’re looking for • Degree in Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline, • Strong background in RF electronics and wireless system design, • Experience specifying and delivering complex RF systems, • Hands-on RF circuit design experience at 2.4GHz or 5GHz - 7GHz frequencies, • Strong understanding of RF metrics (noise figure, linearity, dynamic range, phase noise, etc.), • Confident using lab equipment (spectrum analysers, VNAs, signal generators, oscilloscopes), • Experience debugging and characterising high-frequency PCB designs (Altium preferred), • Ability to operate as both a hands-on engineer and technical decision-maker 🌟 Nice to have • FPGA development experience (e.g. Xilinx toolchains, Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL), • DSP or communications/modem implementation experience, • Python scripting for automation or test, • Wireless protocols (e.g. short-range or cellular PHY experience), • Antenna and RF front-end design, • High-speed digital interfaces (USB3, PCIe, etc.), • Embedded C/C++ development, • PCB layout / signal integrity awareness 💡 About the role This is a rare opportunity to work at deep implementation level on advanced wireless instrumentation systems. You’ll help shape architecture and product direction while staying close to the engineering detail — from RF hardware through to digital signal processing and system integration. The client are paying a high rate of £60+ per hour, are happy with majority remote working and the position has been QDOS assessed as OUTSIDE IR35. If you enjoy solving complex, real-world RF and wireless engineering problems and want to influence how next-generation test systems are built, this is a strong fit.