Job Description
Job Title: Senior Hardware Test Engineer \n Location: Southampton (Onsite)\n Rate: Up to £55 per hour (Umbrella), Inside IR35\n Duration: 12 Months\n Clearance: SC Clearance Required\n\nThe company's Southampton site is renowned for its Infra-Red Centre of Excellence, which designs, develops, and manufactures infrared detectors for commercial, industrial, space, and military applications.\n\nMain Purpose of the Job\n As part of the team, you will support both new products and in-house testing by developing hardware for the company's range of detectors. The role primarily involves digitising analogue signals and data processing using FPGA technology as the core timing and data processing engine.\n\nKey Responsibilities:\n\nCapture requirements and generate design specifications.\n\nDesign, layout, and simulate hardware schematics.\n\nValidate designs to ensure they meet specified requirements.\n\nDefine test parameters for the designed systems.\n\nPerform integration and validation at the system level.\n\nPrepare technical documentation and detailed reports.\n\nAdhere to company governance, quality processes, and best practices.\n\nKey Skills & Experience Required:\n\nEssential:\n\nDegree in Electronics Engineering or related field (or equivalent).\n\nProven experience in managing hardware design projects, ensuring delivery within cost and time constraints.\n\nProficient in schematic capture tools (Mentor Graphics, Proteus, or equivalent).\n\nStrong communication skills to relay technical information across various teams.\n\nExcellent organisational, planning, and execution skills, with a demonstrated ability to control costs and manage deadlines.\n\nAbility to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary engineering and science team.\n\nDesirable:\n\nHands-on laboratory experience with circuit construction and measurement.\n\nKnowledge of device drivers and communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, USB, Camera Link).\n\nExperience with FPGA hardware design.\n\nExperience designing low noise video bandwidth op-amps.\n\nExperience working with Analogue to Digital Converters (ADCs).\n\nBackground in component selection and de-rating analysis.\n\nPractical soldering and workshop skills.\n\nExperience working in the Defence sector is highly desirable.\n\nIntrinsic Factors:\n\nPrimarily an office-based role, though will require occasional work in development labs and cleanroom production environments.\n\nAbility to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.\n\nOccasional travel within the UK and abroad with overnight stays may be required.\n\nMust be eligible to achieve UK Security Check (SC) clearance, which typically requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years.\n\nThis is a fantastic opportunity to join a high-impact team working on state-of-the-art technology in a secure and collaborative environment. If you meet the required skills and experience, we encourage you to apply.\n\nApply today to join a pioneering company with a legacy of excellence in infrared detection technologies