Lead Hardware Engineer Location: Blackburn (hybrid - 1 day onsite per week) Salary: up to £75,000 benefits The company A long-established technology manufacturer designing and building intelligent electronic products for global markets. With a strong, multi-year roadmap, they’re investing in R&D and strengthening their hardware capability. The role You’ll be the go-to hardware specialist in a close-knit product team, taking ownership of system-level design and collaborating daily with embedded firmware engineers. Expect a hands-on role spanning concept, schematic, layout input, bring-up, EMC, and release to manufacture. What you’ll be doing * End-to-end hardware development for embedded systems (schematic capture, component selection, DfM/DfT, verification). * Board bring-up, lab debugging, and problem-solving using scopes, logic analysers, and JTAG tools. * Partnering with firmware to define interfaces, power budgets, and test strategies. * Driving EMC/EMI compliance from design-through to test and sign-off. * Supporting NPI, test fixtures, documentation, and sustaining engineering as products scale. What you’ll need: * Solid PCB design/layout awareness with a pragmatic approach to EMC/EMI. * Analogue design skills (sensors/ADC interfacing, DC/DC power stages). * Strong system design experience with single-chip MCUs (e.g. Renesas M16C, TI MSP430, STM32) and associated debug toolchains. * Exposure to higher-end application processors (e.g. NXP i.MX6, ARM Cortex-A7). * Knowledge of industrial and peripheral interfaces (e.g. RS-485, SPI, I²C, UART). * Integrating modular comms: 4G modems, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC. Nice to have * Hands-on with IoT/connected products. * Low-power techniques for battery-operated devices. * ISM-band RF transceivers for short-range wireless. * Understanding of mains SMPS topologies and safety considerations. Why join? * Senior-level influence on architecture and product direction. * Varied, tangible products with the backing of a stable, market-leading brand. * Hybrid working and flexible hours, modern labs, and real ownership. If interested, please send your updated CV asap. Interviews available at short notice