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Description
Company Background
Forefront RF was founded with a clear vision: to create a respected RF component business that makes multi-band smartphones, wearables and IoT devices simpler to design and more globally accessible. We’re based in Cambridge, UK, one of the most exciting, innovative and picturesque cities in the world. It’s at the heart of technology innovation in the UK where world-class businesses, R&D centres and universities come together to drive ground-breaking discoveries forward.
The company is founded on collaboration inside and out, so we’re building a team that shares a determination to succeed together. For us, success means solving our customer’s problems by combining our talents to share in the ultimate rewards. We embrace diversity, because solving hard problems needs a broad perspective.
Everyone who joins the company now will have a profound influence on our culture as we shape it together. Recognising this, we offer a competitive salary and attractive options package so that when we succeed, the whole team benefits. We’re serious about building a great technology company at Forefront RF, and we’re going to have fun doing it.
So, if you’re ready to push your boundaries to resist an ordinary working life, and build better, then come and join us!
The Opportunity
Forefront RF intend to make and sell a tuneable duplexer component into mobile communications equipment. The product will be a combination of Radio Frequency Adaptive Passive Cancellation (APC) circuits (the APC Component) and control software containing the cancellation tuning algorithms. The control software will ultimately be integrated into the customer’s physical layer control software running in the customers control processor.
The RF Systems Architect’s role will be to ensure the technical fit of Forefront RF’s products within the overall context of the customer’s target system. This includes understanding the overall requirements together with the opportunities and limitations presented by APC to guide the product development. This is likely to include making trade-offs between product complexity and performance.
Main Responsibilities
The RF Systems Architect will be responsible for:
- Analysing the RF System requirements for the APC component derived from 3GPP specifications, customer discussions and wider market input
- Specifying the APC component performance in collaboration with the rest of the development and marketing teams
- Contributing to the design and optimization of the APC circuits and tuning algorithms
- Overseeing the test and evaluation of APC component prototype’s RF performance
- Preparing RF performance measurement results for presentation to customers and the wider market which enable the technology’s mainstream adoption
- Preparing presentation materials to show how Forefront RF’s technology can be used to advantage from an RF system engineers perspective
Requirements
Suitable applicants for the RF Systems Architect role will need to have a number of the following skills and experience:
Essential
- A BSc in electronics, communication systems or similar subject
- Experience of designing an RF transceiver for FDD mobile communications including cascade noise figure, linearity and filter specifications
- An ability to derive RF performance requirements from first principles and budget those requirements across each component in the system
- Familiarity with RF circuit simulation and modelling methods (e.g. ADS)
- Familiarity with RF test and measurement techniques, equipment and automation
- A firm grasp of timescale and cost considerations when selecting implementation options
- Presenting and justifying design choices to varied audiences
- Ability to work autonomously with little supervision
- Ability to collaborate with a wide range of team members and colleagues
Desirable
- An MSc or PhD in electronics, communication systems or similar subject
- A working knowledge of LTE and 5GNR physical layer operation including modulation, frame structure and power control modes, together with 3GPP RF test specifications
- Leadership of small technical teams
- Familiarity with MatLab / Python scripting languages for results processing and instrument control an advantage
- Familiarity with software-controlled correction, adaption and optimisation of RF circuits
- Negotiating detailed technical specifications with customers
Benefits
- Excellent Salary
- Pension contribution
- Share options
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays
Our Values
Keep good relationships – we seek to build collaborative, respectful and value-laden relationships at every level
We succeed together – each person involved in our company and network of partners, will share the fruit of our success
Listen well – Listening is the first part of communication. All involved should be heard
Be present – we commit to giving our full attention to the task at hand, and the people we ‘re with
The customer leads– the customer’s needs underpin and drive our intent, and our technologies must work for them
Sustainability is a key KPI – Forefront RF is proactively working to sustainably increase the useful life of mobile phones
Ambitious – we’re not daunted by big challenges and will find a way through together