Senior RF Systems Engineer – Ground Segment

Be part of a team delivering the next generation of secure military communications satellites for the UK Ministry of Defence. This work provides resilient, high performance connectivity for the UK, its allies and Defence personnel worldwide, playing a critical role in protecting national security as space becomes more contested and demand for secure data continues to grow.

Joining Lockheed Martin also means helping to shape significant investment in the North East space sector, with more than £100 million proposed to support high skill jobs, advanced manufacturing and long term economic growth. Opportunities include potential satellite manufacturing in County Durham and collaboration with NESST – the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University – helping to build a strong pipeline of talent, learning and innovation.

This is your chance to work on mission critical technology, develop cutting-edge skills and build a meaningful career, while delivering lasting impact for the region and the nation.

The Role: This is an opportunity to work on advanced RF systems at the heart of mission-critical Ground Segment capabilities supporting defence and aerospace programmes. The role offers exposure to the full RF system lifecycle, developing high-performance solutions designed to operate in complex and demanding environments. You will join a highly skilled engineering team delivering cutting-edge RF architectures and contributing directly to the performance, resilience, and evolution of next-generation systems.

The position involves the design and development of RF circuitry for high-frequency and microwave applications, including receivers, transmitters, antennas, and frequency synthesizers. Responsibilities include RF hardware design and layout, component selection and evaluation, prototype development, and RF testing to verify performance against requirements. The role also supports manufacturing during build, integration, and test activities, and contributes to formal technical documentation.

In addition, the role focuses on the development of RF system and subsystem architectures, including antennas, transmitters, receivers, low-noise amplifiers, high-power amplifiers, RF conversion elements, and transmission line systems. It includes performing link analysis and optimisation, considering propagation effects and potential interference sources, as well as defining and allocating RF system requirements.

Further responsibilities include identifying and tracking RF technical performance measures (TPMs), conducting system and subsystem trade studies, and supporting CAIV analysis. The role also contributes to lifecycle considerations, including cost, reliability, availability, maintainability, and overall system effectiveness.

• Develop innovative RF engineering solutions to complex technical challenges aligned with programme and organisational objectives.
• Work independently with limited direction, with outputs reviewed upon completion against departmental standards and objectives.
• Contribute to major engineering work packages and may take on technical leadership responsibilities within RF-focused programmes.
• Engage with senior engineers and stakeholders on significant technical matters, influencing system design and programme direction.
• Contribute to the development of new RF concepts and solutions, applying deep technical expertise and industry knowledge to advance capability across the organisation.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Lockheed Martin is committed to upholding principles of equal opportunity, fostering a work environment that is aligned with our core values of integrity, respect, and exceptional performance. We recognise the importance of leveraging the unique talents and experiences of all our employees to drive innovation, deliver superior solutions, and maximise value for our customers. Our focus is on identifying the most qualified candidate for each role, regardless of their background. If you are interested in a position, we invite you to share how your skills and perspectives could bolster our team and encourage you to apply, even if you feel your qualifications do not fully meet all the job criteria outlined in our advertisement. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin is dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive for all individuals. We are prepared to accommodate reasonable adjustments for applicants as needed. If you require assistance or adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruitment@global.lmco.com.

Experience in RF engineering or a related technical discipline.

Strong experience in RF circuit design, microwave systems, and subsystem integration.

Proven ability to develop and optimise RF system architectures, including antennas, transmitters, and receivers.

Experience with RF testing, performance analysis, and validation against system requirements.

Strong understanding of RF system trade studies, link analysis, and performance modelling.

Degree or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline.

Business Environment: By bringing together people that use their passion for purposeful innovation, at Lockheed Martin we keep people safe and solve the world's most complex challenges. Our people are some of the greatest minds in the industry and truly make Lockheed Martin a great place to work. With our employees as our priority, we provide career opportunities designed to propel development and boost agility. Our flexible schedules, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits enable our employees to live a healthy, fulfilling life at and outside of work.

At Lockheed Martin, we place an emphasis on empowering our employees by fostering innovation, integrity, and exemplifying the embodiment of corporate responsibility. Lockheed Martin Space is one of the four major business areas within Lockheed Martin. LMUK Space is at the forefront of Lockheed Martin’s International growth strategy including building exquisite satellites for a broad array of missions, ground station mission planning and command & control software products deployed to a diverse customer base as well as key capabilities in AI and space exploration and all underpinned by key strategic collaborations with universities in the UK. We not only deliver on current requirements, Lockheed Martin are always focused on the future requirements of this exciting and growing space domain which is a key enabler to our daily lives and future safety and security.

What we offer you: At Lockheed Martin our employees come first and therefore your physical, mental and financial wellbeing matters to us. On top of working in a highly supportive, friendly, respectful environment you can expect so much more.

• We are an employer in support of and offering Flexible working with the option to also work a 4 day week depending on business requirements, where you have the option of Fridays off.
• We offer Competitive salaries alongside a flexible holiday entitlement.
• We have a Wealth of benefits available to you that can be selected through our wellbeing tool upon commencement of employment.
• Just a few of our amazing benefits are shown below:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pension
• Dental
• Critical Illness
• Life Assurance
• Travel Insurance
• Employee discounts for top high street shops
• Employee Assistance Program which includes free face to face counseling sessions, Legal advice, Financial advice, etc.
• Internal training and development alongside our Education assistance programmes
• Reimbursement for a professional membership
• Competitive policies that support flexibility and family leave inclusive of enhanced maternity leave