Principal RF Engineer

Job Title: Principal RF Engineer

Organisation Overview:

Our Client operates within the high-tech aerospace and satellite communications industry, specialising in advanced RF geolocation systems used in critical national security applications. Renowned for innovation and precision, they offer a collaborative environment driven by technical excellence, continuous growth, and impactful work that enhances global safety and operational capabilities. Employees benefit from a supportive culture that values expertise, development, and cutting-edge technological achievements.

Role Summary:

Due to ongoing operational success and strategic expansion, our Client is seeking a Senior RF Systems Specialist to lead the optimisation of a sophisticated space-based RF geolocation platform. This role is pivotal in refining algorithms that determine the positions of RF emitters via satellite constellations, directly impacting mission-critical applications. The position offers an exciting opportunity to work on a mature, real-world system-taking it to new levels of accuracy and performance-across an environment that values pragmatic engineering solutions driven by data analysis and iterative improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Take ownership of existing RF geolocation algorithms, enhancing their performance through rigorous mathematical and practical analysis.
• Deeply understand and assess the current system, pinpointing limitations and areas for gain.
• Enhance measurement models and calibration methods for timing, antenna alignment, and orbital parameters.
• Conduct detailed error analysis including satellite ephemeris uncertainties, environmental propagation effects, and system noise sources.
• Develop and validate algorithmic updates with real mission data, iterating based on observed results.
• Implement improvements in collaboration with software teams, ensuring robust and accurate operational performance.
• Extend system capabilities with new measurement types and adapt to evolving mission requirements.
• Document assumptions, models, and validation processes for client review and system transparency.
• Support system integration and troubleshoot anomalies, tracing issues through the signal processing workflow.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in electrical engineering, applied mathematics, physics, aerospace, or related fields, with a focus on estimation, signal processing, or statistical modelling.
• Proven expertise in estimation theory, linear algebra, probability, and optimisation applied within RF or signal processing contexts.
• Strong practical skills in Python, with a history of prototype development, data analysis, and algorithm validation.
• Experience working with complex, imperfect datasets-sparse truth data, incomplete calibration-and making pragmatic engineering tradeoffs.
• Ability to interpret, understand, and improve existing codebases, particularly for geolocation or RF signal processing systems.
• Knowledge of RF propagation physics, satellite manoeuvring, and orbital mechanics relevant to space-based sensing systems.
• Capable of translating theoretical models into operational algorithms validated against real-world data.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Hands-on experience with TDOA, FDOA, AoA, or hybrid RF geolocation techniques.
• Background in electronic warfare, SIGINT, GNSS, or radio remote sensing systems.
• Prior work within defence, satellite, or aerospace sectors, especially in spaceborne RF systems or phased array antenna design.
• Experience reviewing and validating production-level code in C++ or similar languages.
• Familiarity with satellite constellation optimisation and orbital dynamics.

Call to Action:

If you possess the necessary expertise and are eager to contribute to a mission-critical, technically challenging environment, please submit your tailored CV for consideration. We look forward to discussing how your skills can support our Client's continued success in space-based RF geolocation systems.