Senior RF/Antenna Design Engineer Ref. 3668 in Cheltenham

A salary range of £47,866 to £56,082, including a concessionary payment of £2,658, and a skills payment. The final amount depends on your skills and experience. You will also receive a one-off recruitment bonus of £3,500 (£1,750 on arrival and £1,750 on successful completion of probation).

We offer a range of flexible working patterns, including 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 will 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 will work closely with our Principal RF Engineer on RF antenna design, while also contributing to wider electronic hardware design, research, and testing. 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 will 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 are committed to your growth and development. You will have dedicated time and space for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement, with up to 30% of your time available for personal development. We will 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 will also be assigned a buddy who will provide guidance and support throughout your time with us.

Your training and ongoing support will be tailored to you, as you will 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 will have the chance to either mentor a junior colleague or be mentored by someone more experienced, depending on what will best support your growth.

Rewards and benefits: We offer a competitive salary between £47,866 to £56,082, dependent on your skills and experience. This includes a concessionary payment of £2,658 and a skills payment. All successful candidates receive a one-off recruitment bonus of £3,500. Other benefits include:

• 25 days' annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• An interest-free season ticket loan
• A cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave

Equal opportunities: At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

What to expect: Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order: online Technical and Competency based interview, including a presentation; if successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment. Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before you apply: To work at GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you cannot take any recreational drugs, and you will need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.