Our client, an international specialist in test and quality solutions, is seeking a Hardware Engineer to join its Bournemouth engineering team on a permanent basis. The role focuses on designing, developing and supporting bespoke electrical and electronic test systems for customers across the aerospace, defence, space, transportation and other regulated industries.
Key Responsibilities:
- Translate customer and system requirements into practical electrical and electronic hardware solutions
- Contribute to feasibility studies, concept development and system architecture
- Design hardware for automated and manual test systems, including instrumentation, power supplies, switching, data acquisition, communications and control equipment
- Select and integrate commercial off-the-shelf components and instrumentation, supporting bespoke electronics and PCB development where required
- Define electrical, electronic and mechanical interfaces between test systems, units under test and supporting equipment
- Produce and maintain schematics, wiring information, interface definitions, bills of materials, calculations and verification documentation
- Support estimating, design reviews, procurement, manufacture, assembly, integration and project delivery
- Fault-find and resolve technical issues, ideally to component level
- Support verification, validation, qualification, factory acceptance testing, installation, commissioning and customer acceptance
- Contribute to safety assessments, CE and UKCA conformity activities, technical risk management and component obsolescence planning
Job Requirements:
- Degree, HNC, HND or equivalent experience in electronic engineering, electrical engineering or a related discipline
- Experience in an electrical or electronic hardware design role
- Solid understanding of analogue and digital electronics
- Experience taking hardware through the complete engineering lifecycle
- Knowledge of selecting and integrating electronic components and commercial instrumentation
- Ability to produce clear schematics, wiring information and supporting technical documentation
- Practical fault-finding and diagnostic skills, ideally including component-level investigation
- Understanding of manufacturing, assembly, integration and test processes
- Structured and analytical approach to problem-solving, with strong communication skills
- Ability to manage tasks from initial requirements through to delivery, considering cost, schedule, risk and configuration control
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to undertake occasional UK and overseas travel
- Right to work in the UK and eligibility to obtain and maintain the required UK security clearance
Desirable Skills:
- Experience within aerospace, defence, space, rail, energy or another regulated industry
- Knowledge of automated test equipment or special-to-type test systems
- Experience with 19-inch rack systems, electrical cabinets and wiring
- Understanding of data acquisition, instrumentation, signal conditioning and control systems
- Experience with PCB design tools such as Altium, KiCad or OrCAD
- Knowledge of microcontrollers, FPGAs, power electronics, high voltage systems and electrical safety
- Experience with Ethernet, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, CAN, SPI or I²C interfaces
- Familiarity with NI hardware, LabVIEW, TestStand or SolidWorks Electrical
- Understanding of EMC design, CE and UKCA compliance, requirements management and verification and validation
- Experience with obsolescence management, legacy redesign, long-life maintainability or classified defence programmes
Benefits:
- Permanent opportunity within a growing aerospace and defence engineering environment
- Involvement in complex, technically varied test system projects
- Opportunity to work across the full hardware engineering lifecycle
- Collaborative multidisciplinary team environment
- Exposure to advanced electrical, electronic and automated test technologies
This is an excellent opportunity for a Hardware Engineer with electrical and electronic test systems experience to contribute to innovative aerospace and defence programmes from the Bournemouth engineering facility. Apply now to take the next step in your engineering career.
