Lead PCB Technical Specialist

Leonardo UK Ltd; Easter Howgate; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time off flexibility

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Learning & development

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd in Edinburgh is seeking a Lead PCB Technical Specialist to provide deep technical leadership in development, industrialisation and supplier maturation of highly complex PCBs within the UK ECRS Mk2 programme.

You will work across engineering, manufacturing, quality and supply chain, defining strategy, guiding DFx, and driving improvements to achieve high yield and cost-effective production while meeting programme timelines.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in PCB development, manufacture and industrialisation.
• Experience with complex multilayer, high-reliability PCB products.
• Deep expertise in PCB fabrication, assembly, manufacturing technologies.
• Proven track record moving PCBs from development to high-yield production.
• Strong understanding of process capability, yield management and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical lead for PCB manufacturing and industrialisation across the Mk2 Programme.
• Own technical strategy for complex PCB assemblies and cost-effective production.
• Collaborate with PEM and Programme Manager on budgets and schedules.
• Lead engagement with PCB manufacturers and key supply chain partners.
• Assess supplier capability, maturity and technical risk.
• Drive supplier development and supply chain maturity to improve yield and capacity.
• Identify process weaknesses and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure capacity, yield and cost targets are achieved long term.
• Provide DFM and DFA guidance across the product lifecycle.
• Lead reviews of manufacturing readiness and technical compliance.
• Communicate risks and opportunities to Project Chief Engineer and leadership.
• Support qualification, verification and acceptance activities for PCB production.
• Represent Leonardo with customers and stakeholders to deliver technical solutions.

Skills

PCB development

PCB fabrication

multilayer PCBs

supplier capability

DfM/DFx

DfA principles

quality systems

risk management

leadership

Tools

PCB fabrication equipment

supplier audits

Job description

Job Description:

Your impact

At Leonardo, we solve real-world engineering challenges, designing and developing mission-critical solutions that power some of the world's most advanced defence and security systems.

We are recruiting for a Lead PCB Technical Specialist to provide deep technical leadership in the development, industrialisation and supply chain maturation of highly complex Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) within the UK European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 programme. The role will report to the Project Engineering Lead for Supply Chain Improvement Team and support the Project Engineering Manager (PEM) and Programme Leadership Team in delivering the programme's technical, cost, quality and schedule objectives.

The successful candidate will act as the subject matter expert for PCB technologies, manufacturing processes and supplier capability development, supporting the transition of complex PCB designs from development through to high-yield, repeatable production. Working across engineering, manufacturing, quality and supply chain functions, the role will play a critical part in ensuring the programme can achieve its delivery commitments within an increasingly challenging electronic manufacturing supply landscape.

What you'll do as the Lead PCB Technical Specialist

You will play a major role in providing technical leadership and specialist guidance across all aspects of PCB manufacture, supplier development and product industrialisation.

As a Lead PCB Technical Specialist you will offer technical direction, evaluation, and recommendations relating to manufacturing risks and opportunities, while also defining strategic capability improvements and cost-reduction initiatives across the PCB supply chain to support long-term business objectives. You will:

• Act as the technical lead for PCB manufacturing and industrialisation activities across the Mk2 Programme.

• Own the technical strategy for the manufacture of highly complex PCB assemblies, ensuring designs are capable of achieving reliable, repeatable and cost-effective production.

• Work closely with the Project Engineering Lead & Programme Manager to ensure cost and time trade-offs are undertaken and establish technical solutions coherent with agreed budgets and programme timescales.

• Lead technical engagement with PCB manufacturers and key supply chain partners.

• Conduct detailed assessments of supplier manufacturing capability, process maturity and technical risk.

• Lead supplier development and supply chain maturity activities to improve manufacturing performance, quality, yield and capacity.

• Identify manufacturing process weaknesses and drive corrective and preventive improvement initiatives within supplier organisations.

• Ensure programme capacity, yield and cost targets are achieved in both the short and long term.

• Provide Design for Manufacture (DfM) and Design for Assembly (DfA) guidance to engineering teams throughout the product lifecycle.

• Lead reviews of manufacturing readiness, production risk and technical compliance.

• Communicate technical risks, issues and opportunities to the Project Chief Engineer and Programme Leadership Team.

• Support configuration control, qualification, verification and acceptance activities associated with PCB production.

• Represent Leonardo when engaging with customers, senior leadership and external stakeholders to define and deliver technical solutions.

What you'll bring

• A minimum of 10 years' experience in PCB development, manufacture and industrialisation.

• Extensive experience in the manufacture of highly complex multilayer and high-reliability PCB products.

• Deep technical expertise in PCB fabrication, assembly and manufacturing technologies.

• Proven experience of taking PCB products from development and low-yield production through to stable, high-yield manufacturing.

• Strong understanding of PCB process capability, yield management and manufacturing quality systems.

• Experience of identifying supplier process weaknesses and implementing effective improvement plans.

• Experience working directly with PCB fabricators and assembly houses to resolve complex technical and manufacturing challenges.

• Strong knowledge of DfM and DfA principles and their application to complex electronic products.

• Experience leading supplier technical assessments, audits and manufacturing readiness reviews.

• Understanding of capacity planning, supply chain resilience and manufacturing risk management.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location: GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type: Permanent

Hybrid Working: Hybrid