Hardware Electronics Engineer

Leidos; Leominster; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the defense sector seeks a Hardware and Electronics Engineer to join their National Security & Defence team. You'll design, build, and prototype electronic devices supporting critical national security operations, working closely with embedded software teams. The position involves hands-on work at customer sites, requiring creativity and technical proficiency.

Benefits

Competitive Salary & Financial Rewards

Private Medical Insurance

33 Days Annual Leave

Flexible Benefits

Work-Life Balance

Learning & Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience with soldering components (SMD and through-hole).
• Exposure to embedded microcontroller platforms (e.g., Arduino, ESP32).
• Ability to build and iterate on functional prototypes rapidly.

Responsibilities

• Design and build custom electronic circuits using COTS modules.
• Lay out PCBs and integrate wireless technologies.
• Capture and maintain documentation for builds and iterations.

Skills

Design and assembling electronics

PCB layout tools

Wireless communication modules

Prototyping

3D printing

Familiarity with multimeters and oscilloscopes

Education

Degree or HND in Electronics, Electrical Engineering, or similar

Tools

Altium

EasyEDA

Job description

Description

Hardware and Electronics Engineer

Location: Hybrid - Herefordshire 4 days/week on customer site

Clearance: Must be eligible for DV clearance (British Citizen, UK residency last 10 years)

Do you love building real hardware from the ground up? Want to design and prototype electronics that directly support national security operations?

We’re looking for a practical, hands-on Electronics & Hardware Engineer to join our growing National Security & Defence team. In this role, you'll design and assemble custom electronic devices, integrating components like RF modules, GPS, GSM, and Bluetooth. You'll also work on physical casing design, 3D printing, and functional testing — bringing entire devices from schematic to finished product.

You'll work closely with our embedded software developers to build the systems that power covert and tactical operations, often being the person who turns ideas into working physical hardware.

This role is primarily on-site (4 days per week), where you’ll collaborate directly with users and developers to deliver tools that make a difference.

What You’ll Do

• Design and build custom electronic circuits using COTS modules and discrete components
• Lay out PCBs (preferably using tools like, Altium or EasyEDA)
• Integrate wireless technologies: RF, GPS, GSM, Bluetooth, UWB
• Design and 3D print enclosures for your devices
• Assemble prototypes: soldering, testing, debugging
• Support embedded software engineers with working hardware
• Capture and maintain documentation for your builds and iterations
• Participate in on-site integration, testing, and refinement alongside users

What You’ll Bring

Essential:

• Experience designing and assembling electronics
• Comfortable using PCB layout tools and soldering components (SMD and through-hole)
• Familiarity with using and integrating wireless communication modules (RF, GPS, Bluetooth, etc.)
• Some exposure to embedded microcontroller platforms (e.g., Arduino, ESP32, STM32)
• Comfortable with multimeters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, etc.
• Able to build and iterate on functional prototypes rapidly
• Working knowledge of mechanical enclosures and 3D printing

Desirable:

• Experience producing small-scale runs of PCB prototypes
• Understanding of power management in low-power or battery-operated devices
• Exposure to EMI/EMC design considerations
• Experience supporting field testing or operational deployments
• Passion for making, hacking, or DIY electronics projects

Education & Qualifications

• Degree or HND in Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or similar
• Relevant hands-on project experience is highly valued — even from personal or hobbyist work.

If you enjoy taking ideas from whiteboard to working device, and want to do it in support of meaningful missions, we’d love to hear from you.

Why Leidos?

We’re a global technology company tackling the UK’s toughest national security challenges. Our Capability Development team is known for delivering bespoke, high-performance solutions in complex environments. We value people who are curious, self-directed, and eager to get their hands dirty with code.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary & Financial Rewards: Pension, share options, car leasing, free parking, cycle scheme.
• Private Medical Insurance
• 33 Days Annual Leave (incl. public holidays), with buy/sell options.
• Flexible Benefits: Life assurance, gym memberships, health plans.
• Work-Life Balance: 37.5-hour week + up to 2 TOIL days per month.
• Learning & Development: TechX Academy, unlimited e-learning, career mobility.

If you want to work on real-world systems, close to the mission, and in a role where your code directly impacts outcomes, we’d love to hear from you.

At Leidos we are PASSIONATE about customer success, UNITED as a team and INSPIRED to make a difference. We offer meaningful and engaging careers, a collaborative culture, and support for your career goals, all while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.
We provide an employment package that attracts, develops and retains only the best in talent. Our reward scheme includes:
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• 33 days Annual Leave (including public and privilege holidays)
• Access to Flexible benefits (including life assurance, health schemes, gym memberships, annual buy and sell holidays and a cycle to work scheme)

•Dynamic Working

Commitment to Diversity:

We welcome applications from every part of the community and are committed to a truly diverse and inclusive culture. We foster a sense of belonging, welcoming all perspectives and contributions, and providing equal access to opportunities and resources for everyone.If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages please let us know, and we will respond in a way that best fits your needs.

Who We Are:

Leidos UK & EUROPE– we work to make theworldsafer,healthier,andmore efficient through technology, engineering andscience.

Leidosis agrowing company delivering innovative technology and solutions focused on safeguarding critical capabilities and transformation in frontline services, our work in the United Kingdom includes addressing some of the most complex problems in defence, healthcare, government, safety and security, and transportation.

What Makes Us Different:

Purpose:you can use your passion and abilities at Leidos to keep the people you care about safe. We are at the forefront of machine learning, AI, cyber security and solutions. Using your skills in the technology frontline by helping to build a safer world. You caninspirechange.

Collaboration:havingflexibilityto do your job is one of our core benefits, enabling you to become part of our extraordinary team. We have been empowering our people to work flexibly for years. Whether you work from home, the office or on customer sites, we will give you the digital tools and the flexibility to work smarter and align your needs andours.

People:Leidosempowerspeople from every background to be themselves and gives you the tools to learn new skills byenabling growthwhilst developing. We believe that extraordinary people need opportunities to grow, tobe inspiredand to inspire others. At Leidos, we invest in technical academies, career rotations and a career development plans that enhance your future.

Original Posting:

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

Pay Range £47,500.00 - £71,557.50

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.