Lead Software Defined Radio Engineer

Our client, a defence prime, is seeking a Lead SDR Engineer to join a multi-discipline electronic warfare capability development team in Gloucester. You will work across defence, cyber and intelligence programmes, with scope to specialise in areas such as SIGINT, SDR architectures and payload development. This is a technical leadership role building defence-grade RF cyber capabilities.

What you will do

• Lead the development of SDR firmware and applications, creating reusable interfaces and algorithms for multiple mission formats and RF platforms.
• Drive platform and API development, including signal processing pipelines, embedded Linux drivers and application management code.
• Orchestrate development, test and release activities, including test benches, laboratory equipment, continuous integration builds and rapid iterative testing of RF performance and interference resilience.
• Provide technical leadership by mentoring junior engineers, leading design reviews and owning the evolution of technical standards.
• Collaborate with system engineers, cyber security specialists and technologists to help customers achieve their mission aims.
• Engage daily with other teams and stakeholders to support the success of clients and partners.
• Apply advances in AI/ML, cloud computing and edge processing to improve performance.

What you will bring

• Ability to obtain and maintain eDV security clearance; you do not need to hold it when you apply.
• Experience in SDR firmware and application development.
• Experience of signal processing pipelines and embedded Linux drivers.
• Experience of RF test benches, laboratory equipment and continuous integration builds.
• Experience mentoring engineers, leading design reviews and acting as a subject matter expert.

Nice to have

• RF algorithm development, signal analysis and digital signal processing.
• Radio characterisation, front end device design, antenna selection and link budget optimisation.
• FPGA/RFSoC development and proficiency in VHDL or Verilog.
• Embedded Linux, real-time OS and platform development including BSP/OSPs.
• AWS, infrastructure as code, Git, CI/CD pipelines, secure development practices and mixed security classification software development.
• Leading technical projects, budgets and teams.