Lead RF Engineer

I’m working with a UK-based engineering business in County Durham developing advanced RF and millimetre-wave technology for telecommunications and defence applications. They are looking for a Lead RF Engineer to manage and develop an RF engineering team while remaining close enough to the technology to provide technical direction and support delivery. As Lead RF Engineer, you’ll take responsibility for the day-to-day leadership of a team working across RF and mmWave product development. This isn’t a role where you need to be the strongest RF designer in the room.

The priority is someone who can lead engineers effectively, manage workload and technical delivery, support individual development and keep projects moving. You’ll still be involved technically, particularly around design reviews, problem solving and engineering decisions, but the role is broader than hands-on design alone.

Key responsibilities will include

Managing and developing a team of RF engineers
Allocating work and supporting project delivery
Providing technical guidance across RF/mmWave development
Leading design reviews and helping manage technical risk
Supporting engineers with problem solving and design decisions
Working across RF, mechanical, PCB, manufacturing and test teams
Helping improve engineering processes and best practice
Ensuring projects are delivered against technical, cost and schedule requirements
What they’re looking for
Our client is looking for an experienced RF or microwave engineer who has moved into team leadership or engineering management and enjoys getting the best out of other engineers.

You’ll ideally have

Previous experience managing or formally leading engineers
A solid background in RF, microwave or mmWave engineering
The ability to manage people, priorities and technical delivery
Experience mentoring and developing engineers
Enough technical depth to challenge designs and support technical decisions
Strong communication skills across engineering and project teams
Experience with RF design tools such as ADS, Microwave Office, CST or EMPro would be useful, but this role is much more about combining RF understanding with strong leadership than being a highly specialised individual contributor.

Why consider it? This Lead RF Engineer position offers the chance to take genuine ownership of an RF engineering team within a business that designs, manufactures and tests advanced RF/mmWave hardware in-house. It would suit someone who still wants to stay connected to RF engineering, but whose strengths increasingly lie in leading people, developing teams and delivering projects successfully. If you’d like to hear more about the role, please reach out to Zac Taylor at IC Resources.