RF Systems Engineer

Regional Services; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - GBP 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence and aerospace firm is seeking an experienced RF Systems Engineer to join their team in Chelmsford, UK. This role focuses on developing RF system architectures and integrating multi-disciplinary expertise to create innovative solutions. Candidates should have a strong background in RF engineering, excellent communication skills, and a degree in a related field. The position allows for flexible working arrangements and offers a competitive referral bonus of £5,000.

Benefits

Referral bonus of £5,000

Qualifications

• Strong background in RF systems engineering, particularly in Radar and/or Electronic Warfare.
• Proven track record of system design and performance modelling.
• Experience developing concepts into technology demonstrators.

Responsibilities

• Develop RF system architectures considering performance, cost, time and risk.
• Integrate multi-disciplinary specialists to deliver cohesive solutions.
• Engage with customers to present technical solutions.

Skills

RF systems engineering

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Electronic Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering

Tools

RF simulation/modelling tools

Job description

Location(s): UK, Europe & Africa : UK : Great Baddow

BAE Systems Digital Intelligence is home to 4,500 digital, cyber and intelligence experts. We work collaboratively across 10 countries to collect, connect and understand complex data, so that governments, nation states, armed forces and commercial businesses can unlock digital advantage in the most demanding environments.

Job Title: RF Systems Engineer

Requisition ID: 122654

Location: Great Baddow- Flexible working 2/3 days onsite per week

Grade: GG11

Referral Bonus: £5,000

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and driven RF Systems Engineer to join our growing capability team focused on development of RF systems. This role is ideal for a systems‑level thinker with deep expertise in RF technologies who thrives at the interface of multi‑disciplinary teams and excels in shaping innovative system solutions from concept through to demonstrator.

Key Responsibilities

• Systems Engineering: RF system architectures, including trade‑off studies balancing performance, cost, time and risk from early‑stage R&D (TRL 2‑4) through to advanced technology demonstrators (TRL 5/6 and beyond).
• Multi‑Disciplinary Integration: Bring together specialists in antennas, RF components, signal processing, electronics, firmware and software to deliver cohesive system solutions.
• Customer Engagement: Represent the technical solution to customers and stakeholders, providing briefings, technical justifications and system roadmaps.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with the Engineering Manager and Project Manager to align delivery with project milestones and quality standards.
• Innovation: Contribute to the development of new RF system concepts, supporting early‑stage innovation, proof‑of‑principle activities and feasibility studies.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong background in RF systems engineering, particularly in Radar and/or Electronic Warfare domains (or related).
• Understanding of RF subsystems, including antennas, front‑end electronics, signal processing chains and system integration.
• Proven track record of system design, trade‑off analysis and performance modelling.
• Experience developing early‑stage concepts into technology demonstrators or operational prototypes.
• Excellent communication skills with experience in customer‑facing roles and technical presentations.
• Strong collaboration skills across technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of EM, RF, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and RF simulation/modelling tools.
• Experience with either Radar or electronic warfare techniques and military threat environments.
• Understanding of system‑level testing and validation of RF systems.
• Familiarity with defence standards and system engineering frameworks (e.g., DOORS, SysML, NAF).
• Knowledge and experience of OpenCPI

Qualifications

• Degree (or higher) in Electronic Engineering, Physics, Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer status (or working towards it) is desirable.

Further Information

• Occasional travel may be required in this role to visit customer sites for demonstrations, installations, handovers or reviews.
• An SC level security clearance is required for this role, and candidates should already have, or be capable of obtaining UK SC clearance.
• Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have five to ten years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Capabilities Team Overview

At BAE Systems Digital Intelligence we pride ourselves in being a leader in the cyber defence industry, and Capabilities is the engine that keeps the business moving forward. It is the largest area of Digital Intelligence, containing our Engineering, Consulting and Project Management teams that design and implement the defence solutions and digital transformation projects that make us a globally recognised brand in both the public and private sector. As a member of the Capabilities team you will be creating and managing the solutions that earn us our place in an ever‑changing digital world. We all have a role to play in defending our clients, and this is yours.