We are looking for a Lead RF/Microwave Design Engineer to join our team at Honeywell Aerospace in Edinburgh, where you will play a key role in the design, development, and delivery of advanced engineering solutions that drive innovation, performance, and reliability across critical systems.
In this role, you will contribute to the development of sophisticated transceiver solutions for space communications systems including but not limited to lunar missions, ensuring robust design, integration, and performance of components and subsystems.
Your strong technical expertise and hands-on approach will be essential in delivering high-quality, reliable systems that meet demanding mission and customer requirements.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Acts as design authority and technical owner for active RF/Microwave products
- Architect RF design solutions at system and module level
- Assess high level customer requirements, understand customer end use application needs and define lower-level RF system/module requirements accordingly
- Perform RF architectural trade-off, link budget analysis, RF line up analysis, linearity, and dynamic range calculations
- Design and develop RF hardware for communication systems from UHF to Ka Band for telemetry, telecommand and payload data transmitter applications
- Design active RF circuits including LNAs, SSPAs, gain blocks, mixers, frequency converters, frequency synthesizers and PLLs
- Conduct RF simulations using tools such as AWR, ADS, CST, HFSS, and MATLAB
- Develop RF schematics, perform component selection, and support PCB layout team for PCB manufacturing
- Perform RF testing and troubleshooting using VNAs, spectrum analysers, signal generators, power meters, oscilloscopes, and noise figure analysers
- Support environmental and qualification testing campaigns EMI/EMC, thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, etc.
- Investigate and resolve RF performance issues across development, integration, and production
- Produce technical documentation including design description, test plans, test procedures, verification matrixes
- Support product owner and project engineer in product development and meeting technical milestones
- Support customer technical interactions and design reviews
- Support engineering manager in technical proposals and bid preparation
YOU MUST HAVE
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field
- Minimum 10 years’ industrial experience in RF/microwave hardware development
- Experience in aerospace, defence, or space communication systems, including exposure to mission-critical RF applications
- Proven experience in developing and delivering RF engineering solutions from requirements through to implementation
- Understanding of RF system development lifecycle and qualification processes, including EMI/EMC, environmental testing and production
- Experience developing RF architectures and translating customer requirements into engineering solutions
- Strong understanding of RF system design principles, including:
- RF Line-up analysis
- Link budget calculation
- Linearity, Intermodulation, EVM, transmitter performance
- Noise figure, SNR, BER, Receiver sensitivity
- Phase noise and frequency synthesis
- Frequency planning
- Hands-on experience with RF measurements and debugging using vector network analysers, spectrum analysers, signal generators, power sensors, noise sources etc.
- Experience supporting formal engineering design reviews (e.g. SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and structured development processes
- Ability to work independently on complex technical tasks with limited supervision
- Ability to lead technical reviews and communicate effectively with customers, suppliers and multidisciplinary teams
- Attention to detail and commitment to high-quality delivery
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work independently and across multidisciplinary teams
- Commitment to engineering excellence, continuous improvement, and high-quality delivery in a fast-paced environment
WE VALUE
- Experience in aerospace, defence or space applications
- Familiarity with ECSS, MIL-STD or equivalent industry standards
- Experience acting as design authority or product technical lead
- Experience supporting bids, proposals and customer-facing technical activities
- Demonstrated ability to balance technical excellence with programme delivery objectives
- Awareness of manufacturing, supply-chain and lifecycle considerations
- Experience influencing product strategy and technology roadmaps
- Strong analytical thinking and structured problem-solving capability
Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on aircraft across commercial aviation, defense and space — from engines and cockpit electronics to cabin systems, mechanical components and connectivity solutions. Our technology helps operators fly more safely, reduce fuel consumption, improve on-time performance and deliver a better experience for the people on board.
As aviation continues to evolve, we're also developing systems to support autonomous and supersonic platforms, bringing the same focus on safety and efficiency to the next era of flight. With approximately 36,000 employees worldwide and net sales of $17.4B in 2025, Honeywell Aerospace is one of the largest dedicated aerospace companies in the world. Explore our businesses: https://www.honeywellaerospace.com
Electronic Solutions develops the avionics, navigation systems, sensors and electromagnetic defense technology that help aircraft perform safely and with precision. Our systems are on board 90% of the world's aircraft — serving commercial aviation, defense and space operators from integrated flight deck platforms with 30-plus years in service to radiation-hardened systems trusted for human spaceflight.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronic Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field
- Minimum 10 years' industrial experience in RF/microwave hardware development
- Experience in aerospace, defence, or space communication systems including mission-critical RF applications
- Proven experience developing and delivering RF engineering solutions from requirements through implementation
- Understanding of RF system development lifecycle and qualification processes including EMI/EMC and environmental testing
- Experience developing RF architectures and translating customer requirements into engineering solutions
- Strong understanding of RF system design principles (link budget, line-up analysis, linearity, noise figure, phase noise, frequency planning, receiver sensitivity)
- Hands-on experience with RF measurements and debugging using VNAs, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power sensors, noise sources etc.
- Experience with RF simulations and tools (AWR, ADS, CST, HFSS, MATLAB)
- Experience supporting formal engineering design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and structured development processes
- Ability to work independently on complex technical tasks with limited supervision
- Ability to lead technical reviews and communicate effectively with customers, suppliers and multidisciplinary teams
- Attention to detail and commitment to high-quality delivery
The Aerospace Corporation Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The Aerospace Corporation and has not been reviewed or approved by The Aerospace Corporation.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) plan provides a company‑paid contribution of 8–12% based on years of service with immediate eligibility and vesting, and eligible employees can access retiree medical benefits.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off includes 15 vacation days (rising to 20 after five years), nine paid holidays, and unlimited sick time for exempt employees with accruals for non‑exempt staff.
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Flexible Benefits — Flexible work models include a 9/80 schedule with alternating Fridays off, supported by backup care services, an EAP, relocation assistance, and home‑office stipends where applicable.
The Aerospace Corporation Insights
What We Do
The space enterprise has been transformed by rapid change and growth. New vehicles for national security space, a more rapid launch cadence, proliferated satellite constellations, the pursuit of interplanetary exploration, and thriving commercial ventures are changing the nature of the space industry. The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) is a leading architect for U.S. space programs, shaping efforts to outpace threats to our national security while cultivating the technologies needed to further this new era of space commercialization and exploration. Aerospace works across the space enterprise in service of the public interest. In addition to supporting the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, our customers include NASA, NOAA, numerous federal agencies, and commercial space — all of whom benefit from our deep technical knowledge. We only pursue business related to the space mission and complementary fields, operating as the nation’s trusted partner to solve the toughest challenges and develop reliable and innovative technologies. Innovation in space occurs when people have the freedom to imagine and do. At Aerospace, we take pride in our readiness to solve some of the most complex challenges in the space enterprise.
Why Work With Us
We are a non-profit corporation chartered by the government to work on the hardest problems in space. We employ technical experts in every discipline of space-related science and engineering who touch every part of the US space program. Come join us as we make an impact bigger than ourselves.
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