Principal Electronics Engineer

The Opportunity We're looking for a Principal Electronics Engineer to shape the future of defence technology and make a real impact in a meaningful industry. You will lead the design, development and delivery of cutting-edge electronics for our electro-optical products, autonomous tracking systems and drone interception technology - supporting some of the most important projects in the defence sector. This is a hands-on role for a problem solver who thrives on tackling complex multidomain challenges with creativity, precision and collaboration. You will take ownership across the full product lifecycle, from defining systems and designing schematics through PCB development, validation and certification, working closely with mechanical, software and systems teams to bring innovative solutions to life. Who We Are OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England. Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations. We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world. The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team. Why You’ll Love Working With Us Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do.

Here’s what our benefits have to offer:

• Competitive remuneration package, with performance-related bonuses and clear progression opportunities.

25 days’ holiday + public holidays, with long-service rewards and the option to buy up to 5 additional days.

• Free breakfast and freshly cooked lunches every day, courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.
• Private healthcare through Aviva, keeping you feeling your best.
• Life assurance for peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Salary sacrifice schemes – including EV car and Cycle to Work options for easy, sustainable travel.
• Paid team socials – from quiz nights and football to board games and more; we love to have fun together.
• Pension plan with employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.
• A culture that empowers – we enable change, encourage challenge, and celebrate personal growth.

What you’ll be doing:

System Design & Development: Lead the design, development and validation of innovative production-ready electronic systems for complex electro-optical and autonomous products Architecture Definition: Define electronics architectures, balancing performance, safety, manufacturability, cost, environmental constraints and long-term maintainability Design Authority: Act as a design authority, upholding electronics engineering standards across the business PCB Oversight: Oversee and review PCB designs, ensuring technical rigour in schematic capture, layout, power integrity, signal integrity and EMC robustness Verification & Compliance: Guide verification and compliance, working with external test houses to deliver EMC, safety and environmental certification for defence-grade systems Mentoring & Development: Mentor and develop electronics engineers, helping to grow capability and uphold best practice across the business Cross-Functional Collaboration: Contribute to design reviews, ensuring cohesive integration between electronics, mechanical, firmware, software and systems engineering Leadership & Delivery: Balance hands-on technical delivery with wider leadership, prioritising effectively across multiple projects and supporting colleagues where needed What we’re looking for

• A 2:1 or higher degree in Electronics/Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

Significant professional experience designing and delivering complex, safety-critical or high-performance electronic systems. Expertise in schematic capture and PCB design (ideally Altium), including multilayer, high-density and mixed-signal layouts.

Strong understanding of key domains which may include:

• power electronics and power distribution (DC/DC, motor drivers, protection)
• high-speed digital (e.g. Gigabit Ethernet, USB, microcontroller/FPGA etc.)
• analogue design (sensors, amplifiers, precision interfaces)
• EMC design, grounding, filtering and shielding
• ruggedised or defence-grade design practices
• Experience with system architecture, requirements definition and structured engineering processes.
• Ability to plan and execute validation and verification activities, including environmental and EMC testing.
• Skilled in creative problem-solving with excellent attention to detail.
• Comfortable mentoring others and contributing positively to a collaborative, high-performance engineering culture.
• Able to work autonomously, manage competing priorities and make sound engineering decisions under pressure.

What you’ll get

• Work on cutting-edge technology with real-world impact in defence and security.
• Shape the electronics engineering function, influencing practices, standards, architecture and capability development.
• Take full lifecycle ownership, from initial concepts through to prototypes, verified hardware and fielded systems.
• Collaborate across disciplines to create tightly integrated products at the forefront of autonomous tracking and CUAS technology.

See the direct results of your work, with products deployed internationally in demanding operational environments. As a small, fast-growing company you’ll have real autonomy and responsibility - and you’ll see the impact of your work every day.

More about us:

Vision

• Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission

• Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for surveillance applications and defence

Values

• Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest
• Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done
• Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility
• We are one team: Look out for each other and the team
• Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on

Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people