Senior Electronic Hardware Engineer

Ovarro Limited; Chesterfield; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Industry-wide exposure

Job summary

Ovarro Limited is seeking a Senior Electronic Hardware Engineer to lead the design of rugged industrial hardware for critical infrastructure. You will own analogue/digital PCB design, RF integration, and harassment of certifications across the product lifecycle.

The role emphasizes ATEX/IECEx aware development, DFMA collaboration, and hands-on debugging for long-life deployments in harsh environments. Wirksworth/Chesterfield UK-based role.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electronic Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience designing analogue and digital PCBs for industrial use.
• Hands-on hardware debugging and RF subsystems experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead analogue, digital, and mixed-signal PCB design.
• Produce schematics, layouts, BoMs, and docs for manufacture.
• Support RF antenna integration and real-world validation.
• Mentor junior engineers and participate in design reviews.
• Ensure ATEX/IECEx compliance where applicable.

Skills

PCB design

Embedded electronics

Microcontroller systems

RF integration

ATEX awareness

Education

Electronic Engineering degree

Tools

Altium

OrCAD

KiCad

Job description

This role will support Aquam, Ovarro's sister company

Senior Electronic Hardware Engineer
Location
Wirksworth/Chesterfield UK
Reporting to
IoT Manager

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Electronic Hardware Engineer to lead the design and development of robust electronic hardware solutions used in critical industrial and infrastructure environments. The role focuses on PCB design, embedded electronics, microcontroller-based systems, and RF/antenna integration, with a strong preference for experience in ATEX / hazardous-area certified products.
You will play a key role across the full product lifecycle—from requirements capture and schematic design through PCB layout, prototype bring-up, compliance, and transition into manufacture—working closely with firmware, mechanical, test, and product teams.

Key Responsibilities

Hardware Design & Development

• Lead the design and development of analogue, digital, and mixed-signal PCBs
• Produce schematics, PCB layouts, BoMs, and manufacturing documentation
• Design low-power, ruggedised electronics suitable for long-life industrial deployment
• Support hardware bring-up, debugging, and root-cause analysis
• Design and integrate RF circuits and antennas (e.g. cellular, NB‑IoT, LTE‑M, sub‑GHz, ISM bands)
• Support antenna selection, matching, tuning, and validation
• Work with enclosure / mechanical teams to ensure RF performance in real-world installations

Compliance & Certification

• Design hardware to meet ATEX / IECEx requirements (where applicable)
• Ensure compliance with UKCA / CE (EMC, LVD, RED)
• Support testing with external test houses and internal validation teams
• Contribute to technical files, risk assessments, and compliance documentation

Lifecycle & Manufacturing Support

• Support DFM, DFA, and DFMEA activities
• Work with manufacturing partners on prototype builds and production ramp-up
• Support component selection with an eye on availability, obsolescence, and lifecycle risk
• Provide technical support to quality, test, and field teams as required

Technical Leadership

• Act as a technical authority for electronic hardware within the team
• Mentor and review work of junior engineers
• Contribute to design reviews (DDR / gates) and engineering governance processes
• Drive continuous improvement in tools, design practices, and standards
• Degree (or equivalent experience) in Electronic Engineering
• Significant experience in electronic hardware design for commercial or industrial products
• Strong expertise in PCB schematic capture and layout (Altium, OrCAD, KiCad, etc.)
• Solid understanding of analogue electronics, power regulation, and signal integrity
• Experience integrating antennas and RF subsystems
• Hands-on experience with hardware debugging (oscilloscope, logic analyser, spectrum analyser)
• Experience working in regulated or safety-critical environments

Desirable / Advantageous

• ATEX / IECEx design experience (or strong exposure to hazardous-area products)
• Experience with low-power IoT devices
• Familiarity with EMC mitigation techniques
• Experience supporting cellular certification (RED, PTCRB, GCF, carrier approvals)
• Understanding of functional safety concepts
• Previous experience in water, energy, oil & gas, rail, or industrial automation sectors

Personal Attributes

• Structured, detail-oriented, and safety-conscious
• Comfortable taking technical ownership of complex designs
• Strong collaborator across hardware, firmware, mechanical, and test disciplines
• Able to balance innovation with robustness and long-term supportability

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work on mission-critical products used in essential infrastructure
• Exposure to end-to-end product development, from concept to deployed systems
• Supportive engineering culture with strong technical standards
• Competitive salary and benefits package

Aquam recognise the need for a diverse workforce and we are committed to equal opportunities in employment.
Aquam employees and candidates who apply to work at Ovarro will be treated fairly and valued equally. All job requirements fit the needs of the business and those who work in it, regardless of age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, domestic circumstances, social and employment status, HIV status, gender reassignment, political affiliation or trade union membership.