Senior PCB CAD Engineer (RF)

Location: Reading, United Kingdom — on-site

Company

hirify.global designs cellular chips and the boards used to characterise and showcase them.

What you will do

• Own PCB CAD design for characterisation and evaluation boards from specification, schematic capture and placement through layout and release.
• Design demanding multilayer boards and modules involving RF up to 8 GHz, EMC, high-speed digital routing, power supplies and thermal constraints.
• Advise hardware and RF engineers on PCB technologies, design rules and engineering trade-offs, working with simulation engineers from the early design stage.
• Design mechanical elements including 3D models, stencils, module holders, metal plates, shields and heatsinks.
• Manage Altium Workspace libraries, BOMs, documentation, Gerber releases and CAM comparisons.
• Coordinate with manufacturers and Operations on quotations, assembly, clearances, schedules, component availability and external PCB CAD support during workload peaks.

Requirements

• 10+ years of PCB CAD design experience with Altium, covering both schematics and layout.
• HND or engineering degree in Electronics.
• Deep knowledge of PCB technologies, including via types, dielectrics, copper thickness, stack-ups, multilayer builds, and current manufacturing processes, limitations and costs.
• Strong routing expertise for RF, ideally telecom and up to 8 GHz, as well as power supplies, clocks and data lines; knowledge of crosstalk, length matching, impedance control, stubs, RF leakage and shielding.
• Awareness of thermal dissipation, warping, delamination, assembly rotation, mechanical clearances, shield design and mounting.
• Proactive and autonomous working style with the ability to manage schedules, raise risks early and take ownership of results.
• Clear communication and the ability to present work to colleagues at all levels in an international team.

Nice to have

• Good understanding of analogue and digital electronic circuits.
• Experience with component sourcing, supplier relations and third-party manufacturers.
• Familiarity with cellular technologies including 3GPP and LTE.

Culture & Benefits

• Direct ownership of PCB CAD standards and design decisions within the Hardware Platform team.
• Technical work involving RF, miniaturised modules and high-density multilayer designs.
• International, collaborative environment with hardware, RF and simulation engineers.
• Boards are used to characterise and showcase cellular chips shipped worldwide.