Principal Hardware Engineer in Fife

We are looking for a Principal Hardware Engineer with deep expertise in Power Electronics who is motivated by technically challenging designs and the opportunity to influence product direction. This is a senior, hands‑on technical leadership role, ideal for an experienced engineer seeking to shape architectures, mentor others, and see designs through from concept to production. You will act as the technical focal point for complex electronic systems, leading and supporting multi‑disciplinary teams across internal and customer‑funded programmes. Your work will span early concept studies, detailed design, verification, and successful integration into production hardware.

Main Duties

• Provide technical leadership within a multi‑disciplinary design team
• Lead the design and development of power electronic systems, from concept through qualification
• Lead by example with respect to Safety and Quality, embracing internal and external processes
• Solve complex technical problems on both new developments and existing products
• Capture, interpret, and derive customer requirements into clearly bounded design specifications
• Produce high‑quality schematics, simulations, PCB designs, and support component selection, evaluation, and verification
• Direct design reviews, commissioning, debug, fault diagnosis, and lifecycle support
• Design to cost and schedule, working effectively within approved budgets
• Ensure designs meet relevant industry, customer, and regulatory standards
• Support configuration control and managed design change
• Produce clear, concise technical documentation and reports
• Act as a technical authority in customer discussions within your area of expertise
• Maintain a strong hands‑on laboratory presence, assembling, testing, and troubleshooting hardware when required

Candidate Requirements

We welcome applications from engineers who can demonstrate strength in most of the following areas — not necessarily every item:

• Applying a systems engineering approach across the full product lifecycle
• Significant experience in power electronics design, including a range of topologies
• Proven ability to take designs from prototype through to production
• Experience designing custom or semi‑custom magnetic components
• Strong understanding of embedded digital electronics, including microprocessors
• Practical experience with schematic capture, PCB design, and verification
• Ability to analyse problems using SPICE‑based and Simulink simulation tools, make sound engineering decisions, and communicate outcomes clearly
• Confidence working independently, while also mentoring and supporting others
• Comfortable operating in a changing environment with competing priorities
• Eligible for, or able to obtain, SC security clearance

Desirable Experience

• Experience with ADC/DAC, memory devices (SRAM, Flash), and mixed‑signal design
• Compliance of products to defence engineering standards (DEF‑STAN, MIL‑STD, etc.)
• Design for, and compliance to, European Directives (Low Voltage Directive, Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, etc.)
• Product design for Manufacture, Assembly and Test
• Product design for environmental requirements (shock, vibration, EMC, etc.)
• Familiarity with Mentor Xpedition
• Experience developing DO‑254 compliant electronic systems
• Experience with FPGAs, SoCs, and high‑speed digital interfaces

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• 25 days holiday + statutory public holidays, plus opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days (37hr)
• Contributory Pension Scheme (up to 10.5% company contribution)
• Company bonus scheme (discretionary)
• 6 times salary “Life Assurance” with pension
• Flexible Benefits scheme with extensive salary sacrifice schemes, including Health Cashplan, Dental, and Cycle to Work
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity