R&D Director – Hardware Engineering

People Hive HR Consultancies LLC; Espoo; On-site; EUR 73,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

People Hive is seeking a visionary R&D Director – Hardware Engineering in Espoo, Finland, to lead the hardware division and manage the full lifecycle from concept to mass production for rugged outdoor displays, touchscreens, and payment terminals.

The successful candidate will mentor mechanical and electronics teams, steer critical technical decisions, and uphold high standards of quality while scaling engineering practices across the organization.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of hardware product development experience.
• Proven engineering leadership and successful product delivery.
• Broad expertise across mechanical and electronics engineering.
• Professional working proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Oversee full product lifecycle from concept to mass production for rugged displays, touchscreens and terminals.
• Mentor mechanical and electronics teams and drive technical decisions.
• Ensure high quality, innovative hardware solutions and scalable engineering processes.
• Lead on-site at Espoo, Finland with hands-on involvement in key technical challenges.

Skills

Hardware leadership

Mechanical engineering

Electronics engineering

Project management

Mentoring

English proficiency

Job description

People Hive is supporting an innovative international client in Espoo, Finland, in the search for a visionary and hands-on R&D Director – Hardware Engineering to lead their hardware engineering division.

In this pivotal role, the successful candidate will oversee the full product lifecycle, from initial concept and prototyping through to mass production, for rugged outdoor displays, touchscreens, and payment terminals.

The R&D Director will mentor the client's mechanical and electronics engineering teams, drive critical technical decisions, and ensure products meet high standards of quality and innovation.

This position is suited to a strategic engineering leader with extensive hardware development experience who also enjoys remaining hands-on with technical challenges and wants to play a key role in developing and scaling engineering processes.

Critical Requirements

• 15+ years of relevant engineering and hardware product development experience
• Proven track record in engineering leadership and successful product delivery
• Broad technical expertise across both mechanical and electronics engineering
• Professional working proficiency in English
• Ability to work on-site in Espoo, Finland

Important Requirements

• Strong project management skills, including budget and timeline oversight
• Experience coordinating with manufacturing partners
• Proactive and hands-on approach to technical problem-solving
• Ability to mentor and develop high-performing engineering teams

Nice to Have

• Experience with ruggedised display technology and touchscreens
• Established relationships or previous experience working with Asian manufacturing partners
• Familiarity with structured hardware development processes
• Interest or experience in integrating AI and automation into R&D workflows

About the Client

The client is an innovative international company operating in an entrepreneurial environment with a flat organisational structure.

The leadership team is given significant autonomy and direct access to the CTO. The company develops cutting-edge hardware solutions and is looking for an experienced engineering leader who can help refine its engineering practices, strengthen product development, and scale its operations.

Location: Espoo, Finland
Working arrangement: On-site
Employment: Full-time
Seniority: Senior
Industry: Hardware Engineering / Consumer Electronics
Salary: €6,500–€7,500 per month

Job Reference: PH-ANS-107