Lead Hardware Engineer

GridCrest by Kaynes; Dadri; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

GridCrest by Kaynes in India seeks a Technical Authority and System Architect for next-generation smart metering platforms. You will own end-to-end hardware development, ensuring high accuracy, ultra-low power, robust connectivity, regulatory compliance, and long-term reliability.

Lead hardware architecture, RF and metrology design, and manufacturing readiness while guiding cross-functional teams across design, validation, and field deployment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in Smart Metering / AMI hardware development.
• Expert in precision analog/digital and RF design.
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing and certification.
• PCB design using Altium Designer or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Define hardware architecture for metrology AFE, MCU/SoC, RF, power management, security.
• Lead precision metrology, PCB development, EMC/EMI compliance, thermal management.
• Drive RF/connectivity solutions (NB-IoT, LTE Cat-M1, LoRa/Sub-GHz), antenna design and link-budget.
• Develop ultra-low-power architectures for extended battery life.
• Own product validation, reliability testing, certification, and root-cause analysis.
• Ensure DFM/DFX compliance, manufacturing scalability, BoM optimization.
• Enable AMI interoperability, DLMS/COSEM integration, OTA reliability.
• Design hardware security features including secure elements and secure boot.
• Analyze field performance and drive continuous product improvement.
• Adapt designs for regional regulatory and environmental requirements across India, EU, LATAM.
• Mentor engineering teams, establish best practices, and provide technical leadership.
• Define hardware roadmap and technology innovation initiatives.

Skills

Metrology

RF Design

Low-Power Design

Hardware Architecture

Regulatory Compliance

EMC/EMI

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical, or Telecommunication Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

GridCrest is a leading Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service Provider (AMISP) in India. We manufacture over 5 lakh smart energy meters monthly with a fully captive ecosystem spanning Design, Development, Validation, Software, and Managed Services teams. With a turnover of ₹600 Crore and exponential growth, we are expanding into smart water and gas metering. Our secure and data-intensive ecosystem is supported by our state-of-the-art facilities in Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Role Overview

Technical authority and system architect for next-generation smart electricity, water, and gas metering platforms. Responsible for end-to-end hardware development, ensuring high accuracy, ultra-low power consumption, robust connectivity, regulatory compliance, long-term reliability (10-15 years), and manufacturing readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• Define hardware architecture covering metrology AFE, MCU/SoC, RF/cellular communication, power management, protection, and security subsystems.
• Lead precision metrology design, PCB development, EMC/EMI compliance, thermal management, and component lifecycle strategy.
• Drive RF and connectivity solutions (NB-IoT, LTE Cat-M1, LoRa/Sub-GHz), antenna design, link-budget analysis, and communication reliability.
• Develop ultra-low-power architectures to achieve extended battery life and optimized energy consumption.
• Own product validation, reliability testing, certification, and root-cause analysis.
• Ensure DFM/DFA/DFT compliance, manufacturing scalability, yield improvement, calibration processes, and BoM optimization.
• Enable AMI interoperability, DLMS/COSEM integration, OTA reliability, outage management, and field diagnostics.
• Design hardware security features including secure elements, secure boot, firmware integrity, and anti-tamper mechanisms.
• Analyze field performance, RMA trends, and fleet diagnostics to drive continuous product improvement.
• Adapt designs for regional regulatory, electrical, and environmental requirements across India, EU, and LATAM.
• Mentor engineering teams, establish best practices, and provide technical leadership.
• Define hardware roadmap, platform reuse strategy, and technology innovation initiatives.

Roles

• Smart Metering Hardware System Architect
• Technical Authority for Metrology, RF, Connectivity, and Low-Power Design
• Cross-Functional Technical Leader

Accountabilities

• Meter accuracy, reliability, connectivity, and field performance
• Certification and regulatory compliance success
• BoM optimization and component lifecycle sustainability
• Manufacturing yield, quality, and RMA reduction
• Technical excellence and team capability development

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Electronics, Electrical, or Telecommunication Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience in Smart Metering, AMI, or Industrial IoT hardware development.
• Strong expertise in precision metrology, analog/digital design, RF, cellular (NB-IoT/LTE-M), LoRa/Sub-GHz, and power electronics.
• Experience with PCB design tools such as Altium Designer or equivalent.
• Proven track record in product certification, high-volume manufacturing, and hardware lifecycle management.