Senior RF Data Scientist / Research Engineer

Adria Solutions
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Last week
£80,000 – £110,000 pa

Salary

£80,000 – £110,000 pa

Job Type
Permanent
Work Pattern
Full-time
Work Location
Hybrid
Seniority
Senior
Education
Degree
Posted
19 May 2026 (Last week)
Senior RF Data Scientist / Research Engineer – Near Cambridge

My client, a fast-growing AI company based near Cambridge, is seeking a Senior RF Data Scientist / Research Engineer to work at the intersection of RF hardware, digital signal processing, and machine learning. This hands-on R&D role involves analysing complex RF datasets, developing advanced signal-processing pipelines, and contributing to cutting-edge UAV/drone detection technologies.

You will play a key role in prototyping new sensing capabilities, working with SDRs, designing real-world RF experiments, and integrating machine-learning models into early-stage hardware–software systems. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, iterative prototyping environments.



Key Responsibilities

  • Analysing raw IQ data from SDR platforms (e.g., bladeRF, USRP) to extract, classify, and interpret RF signal features
  • Building diagnostic RF analysis tools (time–frequency plots, cyclic spectra, EVM, autocorrelation, constellation tracking, etc.)
  • Designing RF data-processing pipelines built around practical hardware constraints (bandwidth, ADC limits, gain stages, timing jitter)
  • Modelling RF front-end behaviour (filters, mixers, LOs, AGC, noise figure) to improve signal integrity and inference accuracy
  • Developing ML and statistical models for RF classification, anomaly detection, and emitter identification
  • Prototyping real-time or batch-processing systems in Python (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch) with potential integration via ZMQ, GNU Radio, or C++ backends
  • Leading RF data collection, field experiments, and over-the-air testing using drones, wireless devices, and custom transmitters


Requirements

  • Strong Python proficiency for RF data analysis and prototyping (NumPy, SciPy, matplotlib, scikit-learn, PyTorch)
  • Solid understanding of DSP fundamentals (FFT, filtering, modulation, correlation, noise modelling, resampling)
  • Familiarity with SDR frameworks such as GNU Radio, SDRangel, osmoSDR, or SoapySDR
  • Practical understanding of RF hardware chains (antenna filters mixers ADC) and their impact on baseband data
  • Experience analysing wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, LTE, LoRa, etc.) and physical-layer structures
  • Comfortable debugging SDR setups and performing field-based RF data collection
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively within an iterative R&D team


Desirable

  • Hands-on experience with SDRs (bladeRF, HackRF, USRP, PlutoSDR) and RF lab equipment (spectrum analysers, VNAs, signal generators)
  • Experience in passive radar, beamforming, TDoA, Doppler, or direction finding
  • Familiarity with embedded or real-time systems (FPGA pipelines, GPU acceleration, etc.)
  • Programming experience in MATLAB, C++, Rust, or similar languages
  • Knowledge of RF circuit principles (impedance matching, filter design, gain budgeting)
  • Experience designing or testing antenna arrays for sensing/detection
  • Publications, patents, or open-source RF/ML contributions


Role Details

  • Location: Cambridge area (onsite or hybrid depending on project needs)
  • Department: Research & Prototyping Team
  • Impact: Direct involvement in early-stage hardware–software product development


Interested? Please Click Apply Now!

Senior RF Data Scientist / Research Engineer – Near Cambridge

Related Jobs

View all jobs
Spotlight

Senior Processor Architect

Fractile London, United Kingdom
Spotlight

Semiconductor Test Engineering Team Leader

Fractile Bristol, United Kingdom
On-site

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

DOMO TACTICAL COMMUNICATIONS Whiteley, Hampshire, PO15 7LW, United Kingdom
On-site Clearance Required

Senior FPGA Engineer

MASS Bristol, Bristol (county), United Kingdom
£52,000 – £62,000 pa On-site Clearance Required

Senior FPGA Engineer

MASS Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
£52,000 – £62,000 pa On-site Clearance Required

Senior FPGA Engineer

MASS Gloucester, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
£52,000 – £62,000 pa On-site Clearance Required

Senior FPGA Engineer

MASS Great Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 2AA, United Kingdom
£52,000 – £62,000 pa On-site Clearance Required

Senior FPGA Engineer

MASS Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
£52,000 – £62,000 pa On-site Clearance Required

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Where to Advertise Semiconductor Jobs in the UK (2026 Guide)

Where to advertise semiconductor jobs UK in 2026: the specialist boards, academic channels and community routes that actually reach IC, fab and EDA talent. The candidate pool is one of the smallest and most specialised in any engineering discipline — spanning IC design engineers, process engineers, fab technicians, EDA tool developers, compound semiconductor physicists and power electronics specialists. General job boards are largely ineffective for semiconductor hiring. The community is tight-knit, highly academic in its roots and concentrated around a small number of university groups, fab facilities and design centres. Specialist boards, academic channels and direct community engagement are the primary sourcing strategies that work. This guide, published by SemiconductorJobs.co.uk, covers where to advertise semiconductor roles in the UK in 2026, how the main platforms compare, what employers should expect to pay, and what the data says about hiring across different role types.

Semiconductor Jobs UK 2026: What to Expect Over the Next 3 Years

Semiconductor Jobs UK 2026: roles, salaries and the hiring trends shaping UK semiconductor recruitment over the next three years — what to expect now. Semiconductors are the foundational technology of the modern world. Every smartphone, electric vehicle, data centre, medical device, satellite, and AI accelerator depends on them. And yet for much of the past decade, the strategic importance of semiconductor design and manufacturing was something that governments, investors, and employers took largely for granted — until supply chain crises, geopolitical tensions, and the insatiable compute demands of artificial intelligence made the vulnerability of global semiconductor supply chains impossible to ignore. The response has been significant and sustained. The UK's National Semiconductor Strategy, the US CHIPS Act, the EU Chips Act, and parallel investment programmes across Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have collectively committed hundreds of billions of pounds to semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing capability. In the UK specifically, that investment is beginning to translate into real hiring — across compound semiconductor manufacturing, chip design, semiconductor equipment, advanced packaging, and the growing ecosystem of fabless design companies that are choosing Britain as their base. For job seekers, the semiconductor jobs market of 2026 represents an opportunity that is more commercially urgent, more geographically distributed, and more technically diverse than at any previous point in the sector's UK history. The roles being created span the full semiconductor value chain — from fundamental materials research and process engineering through chip design, verification, and the software that makes silicon useful. The candidates who will thrive over the next three years are those who understand where that value chain is being built, which technical areas are attracting the most investment, and how to position their skills at the intersection of the sector's greatest needs. This article breaks down what the UK semiconductor jobs market is likely to look like through to 2028 — covering the titles emerging right now, the technologies driving employer demand, the skills that will matter most, and how to position your career at the leading edge of one of the most strategically important technology sectors in the UK economy.