Design Engineer

Design Engineer (Electromechanical / RF Power) Location: Essex (site based) Salary: Up to £70,000

Permanent full time

The opportunity Our client is a long established technology business and a world leader in high power RF products. Their devices sit at the heart of radiotherapy systems used in hospitals around the world, alongside applications in defence, radar and electronic warfare. The business is growing, order books are strong, and the R&D team is expanding as a result.

This role sits within the product development team responsible for the next generation of vacuum tube products, primarily magnetrons and travelling wave tubes. You will work on new product development as well as resolving engineering issues on existing products, taking designs from concept through prototyping and new product introduction to production and verification testing.

This is not a desk bound role. The engineers in this team are hands on every day, moving between design work, clean rooms and pumping areas to get product through, particularly on the experimental and new development side. The power levels involved are remarkable, with devices producing megawatts of peak power, and you will get the chance to work on things at a scale few other companies in the world can offer.

What you will be doing
Designing and developing components and systems following vacuum tube manufacturing principles
Performing detailed analysis and simulation to optimise RF power performance, including stress and thermal management
Working closely with lead engineers, designers, test engineers and project managers to plan and deliver product milestones
Conducting root cause analysis (8D and similar tools) and implementing corrective actions
Supporting prototype builds, testing and validation
Applying design for manufacture principles so products can be built reliably in volume
Preparing technical documentation including design reportsWhat we are looking for You do not need vacuum tube experience. The ideal background is a mechanical, electromechanical or electrical engineer who has worked on complex electromechanical products and has a genuine enthusiasm for the physics behind them. Someone who hears "vacuum tubes and high power RF" and thinks that sounds fascinating will do well here.

Degree in Mechanical, Electromechanical or Electrical Engineering. A relevant Masters or PhD would be welcome, particularly with hands on project work behind it
Experience designing complex electromechanical products, ideally across the full life cycle from concept to handover
Good grasp of materials, how they behave and how they are joined and processed
Stress and thermal analysis experience (tools such as Ansys)
Proficiency with mechanical CAD (Creo or AutoCAD experience is useful)
A practical, problem solving mindset and the willingness to roll your sleeves up
Strong communication skills for technical reporting and working across teamsAny exposure to vacuum tubes, magnetrons, travelling wave tubes or RF principles would be a bonus rather than a requirement.

Why join
Genuinely varied engineering work across medical, defence and industrial applications
A site where everything happens under one roof, from design through to manufacture and test, with a strong family feel and long staff tenures
Well funded projects at a scale that very few engineers ever get to work on
A stable, profitable business that is investing in growth and new productsIf this sounds like you, PLEASE APPLY
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed