Senior or Principal Microwave Engineer

Job Description:

Salary Ranges

Senior: 45k - 61k

Principal: 54k - 71k

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role or a narrower hiring range published within that band and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo offers an additional allowances for some roles for more information please contact

How do you design microwave electronics that still perform when speed power and survivability really matter
At Leonardo our Electronic Warfare selfprotection systems are deployed across fast jet UAV land and naval platforms operating in some of the most demanding RF environments in the world. As a Senior or Principal Microwave Engineer youll help design and deliver the microwave subsystems that enable these platforms to detect respond and survive. Based primarily at our Luton and Bristol sites this role offers hybrid working with onsite time flexing to meet programme and test requirements.

What you will do as a Senior / Principal Microwave Engineer working on EW programmes:

• Design and develop microwave and RF circuits operating to and beyond 20GHz supporting advanced EW selfprotection systems.
• Contribute to the development of complex RF subsystems from early concept and requirements derivation through detailed design integration and test.
• Perform microwave simulation modelling and optimisation using industrystandard EM and circuit tools.
• Translate systemlevel and RF requirements into robust manufacturable microwave designs.
• Support handson RF test measurement and debug using worldclass laboratory facilities.
• Solve technically challenging problems across the RF chain balancing performance power reliability and manufacturability.
• Engage in design reviews and technical discussions with internal stakeholders partners and customers.
• For Principallevel engineers:
  • Provide technical leadership and mentoring to earlycareer and developing engineers
  • Influence design approaches tools and best practice across microwave teams
• Where required support technical reviews across Leonardo UK sites or customer locations (UK and occasional overseas travel).

What youll bring

This role is aimed at engineers with deep microwave or RF expertise who are comfortable operating with a high degree of technical autonomy.

Essential experience:

• Proven experience designing RF / microwave circuitry or subsystems in complex electronic systems.
• Strong understanding of microwave theory highfrequency effects and practical implementation.
• Experience using one or more of:
  • Keysight ADS
  • Microwave Office
  • CST Microwave Studio
  • Ansys HFSS
  • Siemens EDA / Mentor tools
• Practical experience with:
  • RF and microwave layout techniques
  • Deriving analysing and reporting against design requirements
  • Working within a structured electronic design lifecycle
• Handson experience with RF test equipment such as network analysers spectrum analysers and RF sources.
• Proven ability to debug failing hardware or test setups.
• Experience interfacing with customers suppliers or internal stakeholders on technical matters.
• Willingness and capability to support and mentor lessexperienced engineers (expected at Principal level).

Valuable (but not essential):

• Experience within the defence or aerospace sector.
• Background in regulated or highreliability industries.
• HNC/HND or degreelevel knowledge in Electronic Engineering Physics Applied Physics or similar or equivalent practical experience.

Experience in some of the following is advantageous:

• RF synthesisers (DDS or PLLbased)
• RF conditioning chains and frequency conversion
• Passive microwave structures (e.g. filters)
• Highpower amplifiers or switches
• Low phasenoise design and measurement
• RF chain analysis and budgeting
• RF PCB and MMIC design
• Circuits operating across multioctave bandwidths
• Modeldriven engineering (MATLAB / Simulink)
• Test automation (e.g. LabVIEW)

How this role grows with you

This role rewards technical depth judgement and delivery.

• Senior engineers operate with significant autonomy owning complex microwave designs and solving demanding RF problems within EW systems.
• As influence and experience grow progression to Principal Microwave Engineer brings broader technical authority shaping subsystem architectures guiding design standards and mentoring others.
• Principal engineers play a visible role in technical strategy design governance and crossprogramme problem solving.
• Progression is driven by technical credibility systemlevel understanding and trust earned through delivery rather than formal hierarchy.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Governments Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: join us

At Leonardo our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing career development and worklife balance. Whether youre looking to grow professionally care for your health or plan for the future were here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge:Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future:Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters:Free access to mental health support financial advice and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable Pride Equalise Armed Forces Carers Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4000 online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend:Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to 500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare dental family cover tech & lifestyle discounts gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working:Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace Defence and Security. Headquartered in Italy we employ over 53000 people worldwide including 8500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a teamthey are key contributors to shaping innovation advancing technology and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive accessible and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity drives innovation and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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