RF/ Microwave Hardware Engineer

Technical responsibilities

• As a member of the hardware development team, your role will be to innovate, design, simulate, commission and productise hardware designs for Hanwha’s Phased Array Antenna products; sometimes across multiple development programs.
• Depending on experience, you will take a lead role in developing and strengthening the existing engineering team with a strong background in RF electronic circuit design to arrive at a level of excellence for product development, delivery and cost-effective PCB designs.
• To take ownership of hardware designs from helping to define requirements with the systems team, generating hardware specifications, schematic entry though to PCB layout, commissioning, verification and supporting integration into platforms.
• Collaborate with the Antenna Team and fellow RF Engineers, including other disciplines such as power supply designers, software and systems to deliver an overall complete solution.
• Perform design calculations and RF/Analogue simulations using industry standard tools (ADS, HFSS) in order to determine performance, identify high-risk areas and ensure reliable designs.
• Support product design, software integration, validation and handover to production with other Engineering team members.
• Ensure the products are designed for EMC, Environmental and regulatory approvals and meet the requirements for volume manufacturing (DFT/DFM) – ideally for automotive applications.

Organisational responsibilities

• Contribute to the company’s long-term goals by delivering right first-time hardware designs.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver on-time and build good working relationships with cross-functional team members acting as a technical lead when required.
• Provide time estimates for hardware activities for input into the project planning process.
• Contribute to hardware design reviews when appropriate to ensure quality designs.
• Self-motivated, creative and able to take ownership of problems and finding solutions.
• Excellent communication skills and team working. Self-starter. Flexible can-do attitude.

Essential qualifications and skills

• A good first or upper 2^nd Class degree (BEng/MEng) in Electronic/Electrical Engineering from a leading University.
• At least 3 years’ commercial product experience of complex Analogue and RF circuit design with a proven track record in the data communications, automotive or aerospace industries.
• Ability to influence Systems Engineers and Product Managers to help define requirements generation to realise cost effective designs.
• Strong technical knowledge of RF (to microwave frequencies) from requirements capture, specification, characterisation, simulation through to systems integration and debug to deliver working designs. Competent in the use of ADS/HFSS for circuit design and simulation.
• Highly capable in the design, analysis and characterisation of circuits and systems involving PLLs, frequency synthesizers, Modulators, De-Modulators, mixers, discrete filters, rat-races and integrating them into board-level designs. Understanding of key performance parameters.

• Highly competent in the design and layout of impedance controlled, RF and analogue HDI PCB designs (to 14GHz); knowledge of PCB substrate materials and stackup definition.

• Familiarity with schematic capture tools such as Altium Designer and industry standard simulation tools.
• Ability to liaise with and manage PCB layout engineers, fabricators and assembly houses.
• Skilled at developing and implementing test plans and procedures for the testing of RF/microwave circuits and mixed signal based products.
• Conversant with product design for EMC. DFM/DFT for volume manufacture.
• Competent practical experience in the use of test equipment such as scopes, spectrum analysers, PNAs, VNAs, signal generators, power meters.
• Accurate and methodical. Familiarity with current best practise in the industry.

Desirable

• An understanding of the product development process for high-reliability and regulatory environments, such as the automotive, aerospace, defence or maritime industries.
• Knowledge of the product approvals process to meet the relevant product approvals for automotive and commercial aerospace (DO-160G) would be a distinct advantage
• Commercially aware. The ability to analyse the trade‐offs between performance, manufacturability, cost and user experience.
• Good practical skills in electronics, soldering and mechanical assembly skills.

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