RF Engineering Lead

Position Summary We are seeking an experienced and driven RF Engineering Lead to join our Engineering team. This role is pivotal in leading the design, development, and delivery of high-performance RF and microwave systems for aerospace, defence, and space applications. You will combine deep technical expertise with leadership responsibility, guiding a team of RF engineers while ensuring robust, innovative, and manufacturable solutions are delivered across the full product lifecycle. Key Responsibilities Lead the design and development of advanced RF circuits, subsystems, and system architectures. Define RF system architectures including cascade analysis and link budgets for radar, telemetry, and communication systems. Oversee simulation and validation activities using industry-standard tools (e.g. ADS, AWR, HFSS, CST, MATLAB). Ensure RF designs meet requirements for performance, manufacturability, reliability, and environmental constraints. Act as technical authority for RF engineering across projects, supporting design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR). Collaborate with cross-functional teams including systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and quality engineering. Support new product introduction (NPI) activities, ensuring smooth transition from design to production. Lead and line-manage a team of RF engineers and technicians, including coaching, mentoring, and performance management. Contribute to bid and proposal activities through technical input, estimation, and risk assessment. Engage with customers and external partners to understand requirements and maintain strong technical relationships. Drive continuous improvement in RF design methodologies, tools, and engineering practices. Required Qualifications & Experience Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering or a related discipline. Extensive experience in RF and microwave engineering, including circuit design, simulation, and system integration. Proven experience delivering RF engineering projects within aerospace, defence, or similar high-reliability industries. Strong hands-on experience with RF simulation tools and laboratory test equipment (e.g. VNAs, spectrum analysers). Demonstrated experience in leading technical teams and managing engineering activities. Familiarity with product development lifecycles and regulated industry standards. Skills & Competencies Technical: RF system design, electromagnetic simulation, circuit optimisation, RF testing and measurement, design for manufacturability. Strategic: Ability to align engineering solutions with business and customer objectives, manage technical risk, and support long-term product roadmaps. Interpersonal: Strong communication skills, effective cross-functional collaboration, ability to influence stakeholders and customers. Leadership: Team development, mentoring, performance management, ownership of technical delivery, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. Other Requirements You must be eligible for full security clearance. What We Can Offer You Flexible working practices – we work a 9-day fortnight, hybrid working, offer flexitime, and work a half day Friday 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) with the option to buy up to 5 additional days Private healthcare Health cash plan – cash back for everyday health expenses Additional benefits including access to 24/7 remote GP services, physiotherapy consultations and gym discounts Pension scheme with 6% employer contributions Life assurance – 4 x annual salary Reward and recognition platform Discount platform – retail, leisure, gym discounts and more Employee assistance programme with access to confidential counselling services Support for further training and education Relocation assistance up to £8,000 if you relocate to take up a position with us Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c) Third-Party Recruiters Please note, that per Spectrum Control Policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our values and expectations. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that Spectrum Control will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity. If you or your agency are interested in becoming an approved vendor please contact scirecruiting@am.spectrumcontrol.com. Spectrum Control combines engineering expertise, innovation and manufacturing excellence to enable mission-critical solutions. Designed to solve complex problems in signal modulation and transmission, Spectrum Control solutions enable high quality product performance in the military and government, space, commercial, aerospace, security, medical, industrial and communications industries. Through proven experience and innovation, Spectrum Control delivers reliable solutions for the most rugged environments in the world – and beyond. Our team works to understand each customer’s needs at every level, which leads to long-term partnerships with our customers that transcend transactions and projects, helping to drive ongoing value at all levels of an organization. Spectrum Control operates by the following guiding principles: safety, integrity, respect, ethics, trust and continuous improvement. Spectrum Control is dedicated to delivering highly-engineered, reliable products that help save, enhance and protect lives. The company employs a secure, trusted, innovative, empowered and resilient environment to collaborate across the organization to deliver impactful results to our customers. Founded in 1981, Spectrum Control brought together the power of several trusted brands and formed a uniquely capable partner for RF/microwave, electromagnetic, and security solutions. Over the past 70 years, the company’s engineers and technologists have led the way in creating high-quality solutions for demanding environments everywhere. Today, Spectrum Control's team includes 1,300+ people working across 14 design/manufacturing centers in North America and Europe.