Product Design Authority

Sepura; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sepura is seeking a Design Authority in Cambridge to own the technical integrity of complex products across systems, software, electronics, RF and mechanical domains. You will lead architecture decisions, balancing performance, cost and schedule while ensuring manufacturability and supportability.

You will collaborate closely with Product Management, Operations and Supply Chain, mentoring engineers and guiding evidence-based decisions to deliver reliable critical communications solutions in

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in engineering discipline.
• Significant experience in senior engineering or technical leadership roles.
• Ability to own complex product outcomes and drive lifecycle decisions.
• Broad multidisciplinary engineering understanding across systems, software, electronics, RF and mechanical.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Design Authority for assigned products or development projects, owning the technical direction and integrity of the solution.
• Transforming marketing requirements into robust product architectures and technical solutions.
• Provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams including systems, software, electronics, RF, mechanical, test and verification.
• Make evidence-based technical decisions, documenting rationale, risks and trade-offs.
• Ensure designs meet functional, non-functional, compliance, quality, manufacturability and supportability requirements.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Operations and Supply Chain to ensure production readiness and lifecycle support.

Skills

Senior engineering

Systems engineering

Product architecture

Technical leadership

Evidence-based decision making

Design for manufacture

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Job description

Sepura is a global leader in critical communications solutions. We design, develop and manufacture robust TETRA and broadband communication products used by customers who rely on dependable technology in demanding operational environments.

We are recruiting for a Design Authority to join our R&D team in Cambridge. This is a senior technical ownership role for an experienced multidisciplinary engineer who is motivated by solving complex engineering problems and delivering practical, high-quality product solutions.

As Design Authority, you will be accountable for the technical integrity of assigned products or projects. You will ensure that engineering solutions are technically sound, manufacturable, supportable, compliant and aligned with customer, product, production and business needs.

This role is ideal for a senior engineer who enjoys taking ownership, bringing together multiple engineering disciplines and turning technical uncertainty into clear decisions and deliverable outcomes.

Role

The Design Authority is the senior technical owner for assigned products or projects. You will provide technical leadership from concept through development, verification, production introduction and lifecycle support, making balanced engineering decisions that consider performance, quality, cost, schedule, compliance, manufacturability and supportability.

You will work across systems, software, electronics, RF, mechanical, test, production, product management, project management, suppliers and support teams to shape robust engineering solutions. You will bring clarity where requirements, constraints or technical options are uncertain, and you will help teams make evidence-based decisions that keep products and projects moving forward.

This is not only an advisory role. You will be expected to take ownership of technical outcomes, challenge constructively, resolve issues, manage technical risk and maintain confidence that the product design remains fit for purpose throughout its lifecycle.

The role offers the opportunity to influence product architecture, improve engineering practice and contribute directly to critical communications products that must perform reliably in real-world operational environments.

Day To Day

Our customers operate in sectors where resilient, secure and dependable communications are essential. Our TETRA and LTE solutions are developed for users who face demanding critical communications challenges around the world.

You will be supported by your manager and the wider Design Authority team, while working closely with colleagues across R&D, Product Management, Project Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality and Support.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Acting as the Design Authority for assigned products or development projects, owning the technical direction and integrity of the solution.
• Transforming marketing requirements in product requirements and architecting the solution.
• Working with subject matter experts to define robust, future-ready product architectures and technical solutions.
• Making clear, evidence-based technical decisions and documenting the rationale, assumptions, risks and trade-offs.
• Ensuring product designs meet functional, non-functional, compliance, quality, manufacturability and supportability requirements.
• Providing technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams, including systems, software, electronics, RF, mechanical, test and verification activities.
• Identifying technical risks early and driving practical mitigation plans to protect product performance, delivery, cost and quality.
• Supporting project managers by clarifying technical scope, dependencies, decisions, risks and engineering priorities.
• Working with Product Management to translate customer, market and regulatory needs into deliverable engineering solutions.
• Partnering with Operations, Quality and Supply Chain to ensure designs are suitable for production, test, service, repair and long-term lifecycle support.
• Assessing product performance against requirements, verification evidence and compliance obligations.
• Supporting obsolescence, supply chain and engineering change activities by assessing impacts and identifying technically sound alternatives.
• Acting as a go-to technical contact for engineering teams, helping resolve issues and maintaining alignment across stakeholders.
• Mentoring engineers, sharing good engineering practice and helping strengthen technical capability across the business.
• Monitoring relevant technology and industry trends and contributing to future product roadmap discussions.

Occasional travel may be required, including visits to customers to discuss technical solutions or to suppliers to resolve technical issues. A valid drivers licence, own car and valid passport is required.

Due to the nature of our UK customer base, the individual may be expected to complete UK Security Clearance (SC) vetting.

Must-haves

What you need to succeed

Qualifications

• Degree, diploma or equivalent experience in an engineering discipline such as systems engineering, electronics, software, RF, mechanical engineering or a related technical field.

Experience and Skills

• Significant experience in a senior engineering, systems engineering, product architecture, technical lead or technical authority role.
• Broad multidisciplinary engineering understanding, with the ability to work confidently across several disciplines.
• Proven ability to take technical ownership of complex product or project outcomes.
• Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle, including requirements, design, verification, production introduction and lifecycle support.
• Experience making and justifying technical decisions using evidence, risk assessment, trade-off analysis and sound engineering judgement.
• Understanding of design for manufacture, design for test, design for reliability, compliance, product quality and engineering change control.
• Ability to translate customer, business and product needs into clear technical direction and deliverable engineering solutions.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Credibility to challenge assumptions constructively and influence decisions
• Commercial and organisational awareness, with the ability to balance technical ambition with delivery, cost, quality and business priorities.
• Analytical approach to problem solving, with the resilience and drive to resolve ambiguity and deliver practical outcomes.
• Ability to build strong working relationships across engineering, product, project, operations, supply chain and support teams.
• Commitment to good engineering practice, continuous improvement and developing technical capability in others.

Nice to have:

• Experience of RF communications system development, TETRA, LTE, broadband communications or other mission-critical communications technologies.
• Experience in regulated, safety-critical, high-reliability or mission-critical product environments.
• Experience working with production engineering, manufacturing test, service, repair, obsolescence management or long-term product support.