Principal Electronics Design Engineer (Test & Instrumentation)

Catalyst; Peterlee; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Catalyst, a leading international technology manufacturer, seeks a Principal Electronics Design Engineer (Test & Instrumentation) to drive NPD delivery of complex test and measurement products. You will lead hardware architecture, coordinate firmware, hardware, mechanical and software teams, and work with Product Management to ensure market-aligned features and robust verification.

You will contribute hands-on to embedded software, guide schedules, manage risks, and mentor the engineering team

Qualifications

• Must have led electronics design functions in a senior capacity.
• Degree in electronics or a related discipline.
• Experience in electronics, testing & measurement, safety or instrumentation product sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware architecture and coordinate cross-functional teams (firmware, hardware, mechanical, software).
• Deliver full products and integrated solutions including embedded firmware, hardware interfaces, mechanical design, and software tools.
• Manage day-to-day technical execution and resolve cross-functional dependencies and challenges.
• Contribute hands-on to embedded software development (design, coding, debugging, validation).
• Collaborate with Project Managers to develop schedules, manage risks, and track milestones.
• Mentor and provide technical leadership across the engineering team.
• Ensure thorough system verification and validation focusing on signal accuracy, robustness, and compliance.
• Support design transfer activities including test fixture development and production ramp-up.

Skills

Project management

C/C++

Microcontroller systems

Real-time embedded

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Product development

Git/Azure DevOps/Jira

Cross-functional leadership

Team mentorship

Education

Degree in electronics or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

LTSpice

Git

Azure DevOps

JIRA

Job description

The Client

My client is a leading international technology manufacturer headquartered in County Durham. My client seeks an experienced Principal Electronics Design Engineer (Test & Instrumentation Products) to lead and execute best‑in‑class NPD delivery of complex products for a number of end-user markets.

About the Role

The Principal Electronics Design Engineer will be responsible for leading on all things hardware architecture, whilst coordinating cross-functional engineering teams (firmware, hardware, mechanical and software) while working in close partnership with Product Management to ensure alignment with market needs, product strategy and customer expectations.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary engineering teams through all phases of test and measurement product development—from concept to production release.
• Partner closely with Product Management to translate market and customer requirements into actionable engineering plans and specifications.
• Ensure delivery of full products and integrated solutions involving embedded firmware, hardware interfaces, mechanical design, and software tools.
• Manage day‑to‑day technical execution, resolving cross‑functional dependencies and technical challenges.
• Contribute hands‑on to embedded software development, including design, coding, debugging, and validation.
• Collaborate with Project Managers to develop schedules, manage risks, and track progress against milestones.
• Work closely with other technical leaders to ensure the full technical roadmap progresses and opportunities to accelerate or reduce risk are realised.
• Ensure thorough system verification and validation, with a focus on signal accuracy, robustness, and compliance in electrical measurements.
• Support design transfer activities including test fixture development, documentation, and production ramp‑up.
• Provide mentorship and technical leadership across the engineering team.

About You

To be considered for the role, it is essential that you possess demonstrable skills and experience of leading electronics design functions in a senior capacity. You will be degree qualified in an appropriate discipline and ideally possess experience gained within the electronics, testing & measurement, safety or instrumentation product sectors.

Key Selection Criteria

• Very strong project management skillset.
• Proficient in C/C++ with strong understanding of microcontroller‑based systems and real‑time embedded development.
• Skilled at schematic capture and PCB Layout.
• Demonstrated experience of leading successful product development projects.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional product development teams and drive projects to successful completion.
• Experience in Electronic Manufacturing Environments.
• Comfortable working closely with Product Managers to define features, prioritize trade‑offs, and iterate on prototypes.
• Skilled in using Git, Azure DevOps, JIRA, and other collaborative development tools.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in cross‑disciplinary technical environments.

Desirable

• Hands‑on experience with test and measurement principles.
• Advanced user of Altium Designer (or similar) and LTSpice (or similar)
• Familiarity with calibration techniques, traceability requirements, and lab standards (e.g., ISO 17025).
• Knowledge of compliance testing and certification processes.
• Experience with test automation, embedded Linux, or wireless communication protocols.
• Prior work with contract manufacturers or third‑party design partners is a plus