Senior RF Antenna Design Engineer

Location: Coberley

Flexible working:

Find out exactly what skills, experience, and qualifications you will need to succeed in this role before applying below.
We offer a range of flexible working patterns, including offering full-time, part-time,
and compressed hours to support your individual needs. While homeworking isn’t
possible due to the nature of the role, we can offer flexibility, such as variations in
start and finish times, where business needs allow.

About us
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber, and security agency with a mission to keep the UK
safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse
and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect
the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and
fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on
teamwork.
The role
As a Senior Radio Frequency (RF) Antenna Design Engineer, you’ll work closely with
our Principal RF Engineer on RF antenna design, while also contributing to wider
electronic hardware design, research, and testing. As part of a mixed team of
software, hardware, and Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) engineers, you’ll
work on projects ranging from embedded antenna design to propagation modelling.
Responsibilities span component-level RF design involvement across the full
lifecycle from design to delivery, identifying and helping to mitigate technical risks,
and producing high-quality design and test documentation. You’ll also be involved in
hardware Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and system-level testing and verification,
contributing to future antenna and RF technique research, developing and
maintaining BASH/C wrapper helper scripts, and integrating with and testing a
variety of capabilities.
About you
You bring several years of experience in a similar role, preferably with practical
experience in component-level Antenna design. Your background may also include
working on matching networks, filter design, PA or LNA analysis and specification or
other component-level electronic design. You also have:
 experience working with Vector Network Analysers and Smith Charts
 the ability to engage internal and external customers and work with other
organisations
 a proactive mindset, with the motivation to spot opportunities, adapt quickly
and learn new skills
 experience in successfully delivering projects from design to delivery

Experience with scripting and basic coding (BASH, Python or C on Microcontrollers),
along with familiarity with Microsoft Office and ANSYS, is desirable but not essential.
We will provide comprehensive training to ensure you have the tools and knowledge
you need to succeed.
Training and development
The first three days of your time with us will be dedicated to a comprehensive
department induction, designed to help you understand how things work and who
does what.
At GCHQ, we’re committed to your growth and development. You’ll have dedicated
time and space for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement, with up
to 30% of your time available for personal development.
We’ll support your professional development, including opportunities to gain
accreditations such as Chartered Engineer (CEng) status if that’s the route you wish
to pursue. You’ll also be assigned a buddy who’ll provide guidance and support
throughout your time with us.
Your training and ongoing support will be tailored to you, as you’ll be working within a
small team where development can be shaped around your needs. While most
training is delivered in-house, we also offer regular opportunities to top up your
knowledge through external training providers.
You’ll have the chance to either mentor a junior colleague or be mentored by
someone more experienced, depending on what will best support your growth.
Your learning will draw on the broad expertise across the team, and you’ll also be
encouraged to identify additional courses or learning opportunities that help deepen
your knowledge in specific areas.
Throughout your career here, you’ll have continued access to the support and
resources needed to pursue relevant accreditations, ensuring you can grow in the
direction that’s right…