RF Engineer

RF Engineer

Location: Cambridge, UK

Team: Engineering

Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time

About Us:

Forefront RF is a fabless semiconductor company developing breakthrough RF technology that radically simplifies RF front-end architectures for mobile and connected devices. Our long-term vision is to empower anyone to treat global connectivity as a commodity, effortlessly adding it to any device. We lead through innovation, solving our customers' toughest challenges, enabling them to stay ahead by pushing the boundaries of RF design.

Our Values:

Our values are the quiet nudge that help us to be our best in every interaction.

• One team : We listen, share, and build solutions together. Collaboration is at the heart of how we work. We support one another, embrace challenges and fun, and celebrate collective success.
• Innovation with intent : We operate at the forefront of technology, building innovative pathways to the future that meets real customer needs.
• Solutions driven : We develop world leading manufacturable products that deliver effortless connectivity.
• Customer focused : We act with integrity, hold ourselves accountable, and are guided by a deep commitment to deliver customer focused solutions.
• Sustainable : We design for longevity and reuse - leveraging globally connected RF technology to extend product lifecycles and reduce waste.

Role Overview:

We are looking for an RF engineer who is excited by the challenge of building cutting-edge RF modules in a fast-moving start-up environment. You will collaborate with IC designers, systems engineers, and software teams to integrate advanced RF technologies into high-performance multi-chip modules and help drive innovative wireless solutions to market.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop RF front-end circuits and RF functional blocks to meet the specified performance requirements.
• Collaborate with internal and external IC design teams developing integrated digital tuneable capacitors, power amplifiers (PAs), low noise amplifiers (LNAs), RF switches, digital interfaces, and power management solutions.
• Integrate these design blocks into multi-chip modules, ensuring low-loss and high-performance implementations.
• Optimise module layouts to balance size, performance, and manufacturability.
• Work closely with applications, systems, algorithm, and software teams to optimise overall module performance within target applications.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and test teams to define, develop, and deliver comprehensive module test plans.
• Operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly innovative start-up/scale-up environment.
• Communicate and collaborate efficiently across multidisciplinary teams.
• Document results, design decisions, and technical work clearly, and share knowledge with team members.

Requirements

About you:

You're excited by the opportunity to work with breakthrough technologies. You may thrive in this role if you have some or all the following:

Education & experience:

• Experience developing RF modules or sub-systems (PAs, LNAs, duplexers, filters, etc) intended for high-volume production.
• Knowledge of low-noise, low-power, and high-linearity design techniques used in 4G/5G RF front-end modules.
• A strong understanding of RF fundamentals, including impedance matching, Smith charts, passive RLC networks, linearity, and harmonic behaviour.
• Experience using RF simulation tools such as ADS, Microwave Office, or similar RF design environments.
• Hands-on experience with RF test equipment such as VNAs, spectrum analysers, and noise meters, including performing and troubleshooting measurements such as gain, noise figure (NF), IIP3, and isolation.
• Broad electronics knowledge, with familiarity with industry interfaces such as MIPI RFFE considered an advantage.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex RF systems.

People Skills:

• Proactive approach to problem-solving with a resilient attitude towards ambiguity.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality output.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and pension contributions.
• Company Share Option Scheme.
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays.
• Weekly company lunches.
• Flexible work hours and remote work options.
• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance x 4
• Income protection
• Healthshield Cash plan
• Heka flexible benefits platform

We believe in equal opportunities