RF Test Engineer in Bristol

We’re building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience. We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision‑making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.

As part of this journey, we are expanding our RF test and evaluation capability to make sure our sensing and communication systems perform as intended across our products and research projects. This function supports the design and delivery of RF and mixed‑signal hardware platforms through hands‑on validation of system performance. From early hardware bring‑up through to structured product validation, test engineering helps us understand how systems actually behave and feeds that back into the design and development process.

As an RF Test Engineer, you will develop and run test strategies that validate RF system performance across the signal chain. You will work in the lab with real hardware, build automated test setups, and work closely with RF, hardware, software, and QA engineers to make sure our systems meet their performance requirements. This is a hands‑on role that sits between development and validation. A lot of the work starts with understanding how a system works and what it’s trying to achieve, before working out the right way to test it. Sometimes that’s a quick lab measurement to answer a specific question. Other times it’s a more structured test suite that needs to be repeatable across product releases. You will play a key role in ensuring our RF systems are well‑understood, properly characterised, and ready for deployment in demanding environments.

While this role offers hybrid working options, it requires a minimum of three days per week on‑site at our Bristol HQ, with regular time in the lab and occasional travel to support integration or deployment activities. Candidates must be willing to obtain UK National Security Vetting clearance, with SC required and DV desirable.

Key areas of responsibility

• Develop test approaches to validate RF system performance, covering sensitivity, dynamic range, noise figure, and bandwidth.
• Set up and run RF tests using lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
• Write scripts (typically Python) to automate tests, control lab equipment, and make results repeatable.
• Support hardware bring‑up and early‑stage testing of new RF platforms, feeding findings back to the design team.
• Work out what needs to be tested when requirements aren’t fully defined, building the test approach from there.
• Analyze test results and work with engineers to diagnose and resolve performance issues across analogue, mixed‑signal, and digital domains.
• Collaborate with QA and product validation teams to develop structured, repeatable test procedures that support product releases.
• Maintain and improve lab test setups, equipment configurations, and test infrastructure over time.
• Produce clear test documentation including test plans, procedures, and results reports.
• Work closely with RF, hardware, software, and systems engineers to ensure test coverage aligns with system‑level performance requirements.

Key skills, experience and behaviours

• Experience working hands‑on with RF systems in a test, validation, or characterisation role.
• Practical experience using RF lab equipment such as spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
• Experience writing code for test automation and equipment control, typically in Python or similar.
• Strong understanding of RF performance metrics including noise figure, gain, dynamic range, sensitivity, and bandwidth.
• Ability to understand how a system works and figure out what needs to be tested, even when requirements aren’t fully nailed down.
• Experience developing structured, repeatable test approaches and maintaining test documentation.
• A methodical approach to debugging and comfortable working through problems to understand why something isn’t behaving as expected.
• Experience working across disciplines with hardware, software, RF, and product engineers.

Highly desirable experience

• Experience testing Software‑Defined Radio systems or SDR‑based platforms.
• Familiarity with automating lab equipment using SCPI, instrument APIs, or similar.
• Experience building hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) or automated regression test setups.
• Understanding of RF signal‑chain analysis, including cascade analysis and system‑level budgets.
• Exposure to compliance or regulatory testing for RF systems.
• Experience supporting test and validation in defence, aerospace, or secure communications.

Key attributes

• Problem‑solver: Able to troubleshoot and resolve complex issues pragmatically and efficiently.
• Curious and investigative: Happy to dig into a system to understand what’s going on and why.
• Detail‑oriented: Maintains high standards in test execution and documentation.
• Adaptable and self‑motivated: Learns quickly and continuously develops technical capability.
• Collaborative: Works effectively across disciplines, sharing knowledge openly.
• Continuous improvement mindset: Proactively identifies opportunities to improve test processes and ways of working.
• Agile mindset: Applies Agile principles pragmatically, facilitating alignment, prioritisation, and collaboration.

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds. We recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid‑working model, with an average three days in the office each week. We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part‑time working requirements and or workplace adjustments with all our applicants. Rowden is a Disability Confident & Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible. Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!