Product Architect / Project Lead (Embedded Instrumentation)
Location: North East England
Salary / Package: £70-90K
A well-established R&D-led manufacturer of professional electronic instruments is seeking a Product Architect to lead the development of complex new products from concept through to production.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role, combining system architecture and project leadership with direct involvement in embedded development.
You'll lead multidisciplinary engineering teams across firmware, hardware, mechanical and software, working in close partnership with Product Management to translate market and customer requirements into deliverable engineering plans and successful products.
Key responsibilities
Lead engineering teams through all phases of product development, from concept to production release
Define and own system architecture for integrated products spanning embedded firmware, hardware interfaces, mechanical design and software tooling
Manage day-to-day technical execution, resolving cross-functional dependencies and technical challenges
Contribute hands-on to embedded software development, including design, coding, debugging and validation
Work with Project Managers to develop schedules, manage risk and track progress against milestones
Ensure thorough system verification and validation, with a focus on accuracy, robustness and compliance
Support design transfer into manufacturing, including test fixtures, documentation and production ramp-up
Provide mentorship and technical leadership across the engineering team
Essential skills and experience
Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related discipline
10+ years in embedded systems development, ideally within precision instrumentation or measurement products
Strong project management skills with a proven track record of leading product development projects to completion
Proficient in C/C++, with a strong understanding of microcontroller-based and real-time embedded systems
Skilled in schematic capture and PCB layout
Experience working within an electronics manufacturing environment
Comfortable working with Product Managers to define features, prioritise trade-offs and iterate on prototypes
Experienced with Git, Azure DevOps, JIRA and similar collaborative development tools
Strong interpersonal and communication skills in cross-disciplinary technical environments
Desirable
Hands-on experience with measurement and instrumentation principles
Familiarity with calibration techniques, traceability requirements and lab standards
Knowledge of compliance testing (EMC, safety) and certification processes
Experience with test automation, embedded Linux or wireless communication protocols
Prior work with contract manufacturers or third-party design partners
Why apply
A genuinely hands-on architecture and leadership role in a collaborative, technically demanding R&D environment, building products that professionals rely on. You'll have real influence over both the technical roadmap and product strategy.
You may have previously held the following roles.
Embedded Systems Engineer, Senior Firmware Engineer, Hardware Design Engineer, Electronics Design Engineer, Embedded Software Team Lead, R&D Engineering Manager, Technical Lead, Principal Embedded Engineer, Electronic Design, Systems Architect, Product Development Lead or Instrumentation Engineer, and you are now looking to step into a broader architecture and leadership position while staying hands-on.
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