Lead Hardware Design Engineer
Location: Towcester Type: Full-Time | Permanent | on site Are you ready to lead the design of cutting-edge embedded electronics built for the world’s toughest environments? We’re looking for a Lead / Senior Hardware Design Engineer to join our dynamic Hardware Engineering Team. In this role, you’ll take technical and project ownership of New Product Introduction (NPI) projects — from initial concept through to production release. You’ll be designing and verifying high-performance embedded products such as Single Board Computers, Graphics Cards, Sensor Processing Products, and Network Switches — all engineered to operate reliably in extreme temperatures and harsh conditions. Key Responsibilities
- Define engineering requirements in collaboration with customers and product managers
- Lead cross-functional teams to deliver integrated hardware, software, and mechanical solutions
- Component selection and schematic capture
- Oversee and review PCB layout
- Develop and verify FPGAs
- Conduct design reviews and produce documentation aligned with quality standards
- Drive rigorous verification to ensure product robustness
- Define production test strategies and support handover to manufacturing
- Provide lifecycle support including test, customer support, and obsolescence management
- Act as the technical authority and provide leadership across projects
- Degree in Electronic Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience
- Proven experience in complex electronic hardware design and verification
- Strong understanding of embedded systems and computer architectures
- Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills
- Experience designing for wide temperature ranges (-40°C to +85°C)
- Skilled in fault-finding and commissioning
- Experience working in cross-functional teams
- Ability to manage deadlines and adapt to evolving technical landscapes
- Proficiency with schematic capture tools (e.g., Mentor Dx-Designer)
- Hands-on experience with:
- Multi-core/multi-GHz SoC architectures
- DDR4 or similar high-speed memory interfaces
- High-speed serial interfaces (5GHz+), signal integrity, simulation
- Switch-mode power supply design and simulation
- FPGA/SoC development using VHDL or Verilog
- Interfaces like USB, Serial, Ethernet, I2C, SPI
- Work on mission-critical products that make a real-world impact
- Lead projects from concept to production in a collaborative, innovative environment
- Be part of a team that values technical excellence, creativity, and continuous improvement
- Enjoy opportunities for career growth, ownership, and recognition