Head of Hardware in Southampton

We are using and creating technology to transform operations at sea to enable people and the planet to thrive. We are open-minded and fearless in our approach to innovation and don't believe in boundaries. We challenge everything and have massive ambitions to drag aging industries into the tech era. We take safety, equality and education very seriously, and our responsibilities don't stop at our front door. Our business is built on the belief that there's definitely a more environmentally responsible way to operate at sea. We employ people who share our core values. We expect our people to be courageous, trustworthy, and conscientious, driven by a desire to do the right thing. We strive for excellence, work collaboratively, and are genuinely excited by our work.

Ocean Infinity is seeking a Head of Hardware to lead the hardware function across product definition, concept, design, integration, test, release and lifecycle support. This function will own the delivery of complex marine, robotic and subsea hardware systems that underpin Ocean Infinity’s product-led ocean and defence technology platform, including innovative deployable systems, autonomy-enabling hardware and novel subsea products. The Head of Hardware is accountable for the strategy, leadership and performance of Ocean Infinity’s hardware capability. The role sets direction across hardware architecture, engineering delivery, supplier ecosystem, verification and technical assurance to ensure safe, reliable and scalable products. It is a key leadership position within a product-led technology business operating in demanding ocean and defence environments. The Head of Hardware reports into the President of Technology, Digital & Software and is one of the members of the leadership team of the Technology Business Unit.

What will you do:

• Define and lead the hardware strategy, roadmap and capability plan in line with business and product priorities.
• Own end-to-end hardware delivery across concept, design, integration, test, qualification, deployment and support.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams covering product data, design, test engineering and safety interfaces.
• Translate product and commercial requirements into clear engineering decisions, delivery plans and investment priorities.
• Ensure hardware is designed for reliability, maintainability, manufacturability, safety and operational use in harsh marine environments.
• Provide strong technical governance, design assurance and change control across the hardware portfolio.
• Manage key suppliers, partners and manufacturing relationships, including make/buy decisions and risk mitigation.
• Work closely with robotics, software, platform and product leaders to ensure integrated system performance.
• Build a high-performing, accountable hardware organisation with strong talent, pace and engineering discipline.
• Support executive decision-making on technical risk, delivery trade-offs, lifecycle cost and strategic investment.

Leadership and commercial capability:

• Operates credibly at senior leadership level and contributes to business strategy.
• Makes balanced decisions across technical, operational and commercial priorities.
• Comfortable leading in a fast-moving, innovation-led environment with complex delivery dependencies.
• Builds trust across technical teams, product leadership, operations and external partners.
• Leads with clarity, pace, accountability and high standards.

Technical capability:

• Strong understanding of hardware engineering, systems integration and technical assurance.
• Credible across electromechanical, robotic, marine or subsea systems.
• Able to challenge senior engineers constructively and convert technical complexity into decisions.
• Understands reliability, interface management, test strategy and product readiness.
• Not expected to be the most hands-on engineer but must be technically authoritative.

Who you are:

• Degree or equivalent experience in engineering, technology or a related discipline.
• Significant experience leading hardware or product engineering teams in robotics, marine, defence, aerospace, automation or another complex hardware environment.
• Proven delivery of integrated hardware systems from concept through deployment.
• Experience with supplier management, programme governance and engineering risk management.
• IOSH or NEBOSH desirable.
• SolidWorks Professional desirable, not essential.

What we expect:

In your role as a leader at Ocean Infinity, you will be expected to exemplify the leadership behaviours that drive our vision and create lasting impact. Based on our Leadership Charter, here’s what we expect from you as a leader:

• Strategic horizon scanning and customer sense-making: You support Ocean Infinity’s overall strategy (commercial, market, client, brand and people), identify opportunities while adapting to disruptors and trends; and drive value, quality, profitability and sustainable growth for Ocean Infinity.
• Leadership impact across the organisation and team: You generate and share a strategic vision that others can aspire and commit to; embrace new ways of working and provide clarity during challenges and ambiguous situations, and support the team to disrupt, improve and evolve when necessary.
• Leading with integrity and managing risk: You act as a role model, doing what is right for Ocean Infinity, as a necessary part of Ocean Infinity’s success; set and demonstrate high standards of integrity when navigating the politics of situations and resistance along with appropriate risk taking when solving complex problems.
• Collaboration with peers and across the organisation: You lead open and meaningful conversations and sustain long-term relationships to drive a culture of trust, diversity, collaboration, and high performance that maximises value for Ocean Infinity, its clients and its people.
• Delivering transformation and outcomes: You lead and collaborate with stakeholders to champion change, making dynamic decisions that inspire impactful actions; deliver on promised and transformational outcomes, ensuring Ocean Infinity takes focused steps on things which matter the most for the business.
• Effective decision-making: You leverage intelligent data insights to understand issues at hand to make timely decisions (even in ambiguous circumstances); recognising the ongoing nature of sense-making, communicating and translating strategy into actionable roadmaps that ensure Ocean Infinity swiftly delivers against its strategic plans.

By bringing these leadership behaviours to life, you will not only help shape Ocean Infinity’s success but also create an inspiring and inclusive environment where innovation thrives and teams succeed.

Salary for this position: Up to £100,000 per annum. The salary varies for this position as we are recruiting in multiple regional locations and job grades. The salary process is based on skills, abilities, and experience required.

What you can expect: At Ocean Infinity, we believe in creating equal opportunities for all, celebrating each and everyone’s differences. We are driven by transforming the industry, through our technology, thoughts, behaviours and actions. Being inclusive and respectful to all is fundamental to who we are. It is the right thing to do and enables innovation and creativity to thrive. There is more work to be done, and we know that we aren’t perfect, but our commitment to these values is unwavering. They are central to our mission and the impact we have on the industry, meaning, we cannot live without them.