Senior RF Packaging Design Engineer

Company Description

Do you relish the challenge of being part of a growing business, a team, an industry, and seeing the energy you help generate? Are you at your best when contributing to a range of projects and collaborating across teams to solve the problems of the future?

Within CSA Catapult we look beyond the status quo. We look to employ people based on ability and attitude; we measure what you deliver and how you do it. We encourage collaboration in everything we do as we value the diversity of thought that we each bring to every challenge.

Who are we? The next wave of emerging technologies will have an enormous impact on our lives. 5G communications will enable a host of new and exciting applications such as connected autonomous vehicles and multimedia services. Increasing demand for clean energy will require new electricity networks, while advanced sensing will open up new opportunities for health diagnostics and security. These developments will be underpinned by Compound Semiconductor (CS) technologies.

We are a not-for-profit organisation; here to help the UK economy grow, and we work across the UK with a range of industry sectors from automotive to medical, and from digital communications to aerospace. Through employing leading minds and investing in technology, we help bridge the gap between ideas and implementation by removing the barriers often faced by SMEs.

CSA Catapult is committed to supporting and upholding diversity, equality, and inclusion in everything we do. A commitment to embrace and advocate for inclusion is an essential part of all roles.

Position

CSA Catapult is seeking a Senior RF Packaging Engineer to work in a dynamic R&D environment, focusing on the development of disruptive RF and high-frequency packaging technologies.

Leading a project team of multidisciplinary engineers to deliver both internal and external projects, the Senior Engineer is expected to have expert knowledge in RF package design and broad knowledge of semiconductor engineering, science and technology. You will:

• Lead the design and development of advanced RF packaging solutions for high-frequency applications, focusing on performance, reliability, and scalability
• Develop custom RF packaging layouts for chips, modules, and systems, ensuring high performance and reliability
• Perform package and system-level electromagnetic (EM) simulations using tools like HFSS or CST
• Drive the prototyping and validation of RF packages, ensuring alignment with industry standards and next-generation system requirements
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., RF design, testing, and integration) to ensure seamless integration of RF components into functional devices by optimising package design for signal integrity (SI), power integrity (PI), and thermal performance
• Innovate and develop high-frequency packaging architectures, contributing to the strategic goals of CSA Catapult in telecommunications, defense, and sensing technologies
• Provide technical leadership for RF packaging projects, ensuring the delivery of key technical work packages on time and within budget
• Lead one or more projects simultaneously, working closely with the Project Manager to deliver technical work packages on time, quality, and cost
• Co-ordinate other members of the engineering and technology teams as part of an integrated project team, providing technical guidance and instruction
• Prepare technical requirements, specifications, and test plans, and assist in project delivery with other team members
• Perform design, test and validation activities in the labs at CSA Catapult’s Innovation Centre
• Technical reporting to the project team and a wider audience to demonstrate regular progress
• Consult with the Business Development team and customers to identify collaborative opportunities
• Plan projects, estimate resources to budget, and work on bids, technical proposals, and quotations, working closely with the bid team and commercial team
• Providing technical risk assessments
• Develop assembly procedures and processes to ensure consistent working standards across projects
• Develop new techniques to respond to the challenges generated during projects
• Present results and work to wide audiences to enhance the reputation of the catapult

Requirements

About you; you will have:

• Experience in RF package design and development, ideally with a focus on high-frequency semiconductor applications
• Proven expertise in RF packaging technologies, including substrate, PCB and interconnect design for high-frequency systems
• Proficiency using electromagnetic (EM) simulation tools such as HFSS, ADS, CST, or equivalent
• Experience in signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis
• An understanding of RF devices and modules, including transceivers, power amplifiers (PAs), and antennas
• Familiarity with advanced interconnect technologies, such as flip-chip, wire bonding, and Through-Silicon Vias (TSV)
• Experience in prototyping and validating RF packages, with a track record of delivering reliable and scalable packaging solutions
• Knowledge of advanced packaging materials and techniques used in RF and high-frequency applications
• Ability to lead and manage RF packaging projects, including technical work package delivery, resource estimation, and stakeholder collaboration
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Desirable experience:

• Experience with device/system layout for RF components, including the integration of multiple chips or dies in complex systems
• Hands-on experience with substrate technologies such as LTCC, organic substrates, or silicon interposers
• Knowledge of material science related to RF packaging, particularly with low-loss materials and thermal management solutions
• Familiarity with device testing and characterization techniques for RF performance validation

Behaviours and attributes:

• Enthusiasm, drive, and commitment
• Able to translate technical jargon and processes into something more accessible
• A team player; understanding that the value you bring is more than the sum of a job description. Able to bring people together both inside and outside a business to share a common goal
• Tenacious and versatile; you’re excited at the idea of multiple projects
• Mobile; collaborating will mean getting out of the office from time to time, though overnighting is likely very minimal

Other information

Benefits:

• Up to £62,400 annual salary (FTE)
• A non-contractual bonus scheme to allow everyone to share in our success
• Life Assurance – 4 times your annual salary
• Scottish Widows pension scheme – you put in 5% and we’ll put in 10%
• 28 days leave in addition to 8 bank holidays
• 37.5 hour full-time working week
• A generous private medical insurance scheme for you and your family (enrolment once a year)
• A cashback scheme for your eye tests and dental treatment
• Payment for a professional membership each year
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Flexible working – we operate core hours of 10-4. The balance of your hours can be worked around what works for you
• Electric Vehicle and Cycle to work schemes