Hardware Engineering Lead

Icehouseventures; Wellington; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Marama Labs in Wellington is seeking a Senior Hardware Engineering Lead to own the full hardware lifecycle of CloudSpec, from design through to production and ongoing improvement, while acting as a technical leader in our team.

You’ll be hands-on, solving complex hardware problems end to end, and work closely with production to ensure designs are manufacturable, scalable, and delivered to the highest quality.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering experience with complex hardware or instrumentation products.
• Systems engineering spanning hardware and firmware with strong mechanical capability.
• Hands-on by nature; comfortable leading strategy and solving bench problems.
• Proven hardware lifecycle and roadmapping experience from concept to production.
• Proficient in CAD software, ideally Fusion 360 and SolidWorks.
• Extensive experience with test-driven development in hardware contexts.
• Relevant tertiary engineering degree (mechanical, optical, or closely related).
• Able to learn fundamental scientific principles underpinning the technology (UV-Vis spectroscopy, optics, photonics).
• Moves at pace; highly organised, outcome-focused, and excels at prioritisation.
• Exceptional communicator with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Genuine team player; senior, steady, and reliable.

Responsibilities

• Work with a highly complex physical system requiring precision design and engineering to tight tolerances, including optical alignment of lamps, optical fibers and spectrometers.
• Identify and resolve complex hardware issues end to end, from root cause analysis through to fixes.
• Be hands-on: prototype, build, test, troubleshoot, and iterate on hardware directly.
• Own the hardware engineering lifecycle for CloudSpec from design through testing, production readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Define and lead test-driven development practices across the hardware engineering function.
• Manage the full CAD environment and maintain design documentation to a high standard.
• Collaborate with production to ensure designs are manufacturable, scalable, and consistently high quality.
• Lead procurement of R&D components and manage external supplier relationships.
• Contribute to CE certification processes and ensure alignment with regulatory requirements.

Skills

Senior hardware engineering

Systems engineering

Hands-on

Fusion 360

SolidWorks

Test-driven development

Communication

Team player

Education

Bachelor's or higher in mechanical/optical engineering

Tools

Fusion 360

SolidWorks

Job description

ABOUT MARAMA LABS

At Marama Labs, our mission is to revolutionise the field of spectroscopy through cutting‑edge technology, transforming complex scientific challenges into practical, high‑impact solutions. As a deep‑tech startup, we are committed to delivering exceptional products that push the boundaries of innovation, driven by a deep understanding of both science and market needs. Our goal is to lead, inspire, and make a lasting contribution to industries that rely on precise, reliable spectroscopic data.

With our revolutionary CloudSpec spectrophotometer technology already in market, Marama Labs is working with some of the world's leading life sciences manufacturers, enabling rapid and accurate payload concentration measurement in LNP formulations in 15 seconds, down from two hours with conventional methods. And that’s just the start.

We are a small, high‑trust team that moves fast, holds itself to exceptional standards, and genuinely believes we're building something that matters globally. If you thrive on pace, collaboration, and doing excellent work, this is your place.

THE ROLE

This is a senior, hands‑on engineering role at the core of what we build. As Hardware Engineering Lead, you'll own the full hardware lifecycle of CloudSpec, from design and development through to production and ongoing improvement, while operating as a key technical leader in our Wellington office.

We need someone who is as comfortable at a workbench as they are in a planning session; a senior engineer who can solve complex hardware problems end to end.

For the right person, this is a rare opportunity: genuine technical ownership, world‑class science, and the chance to shape the hardware foundation of a scaling deep‑tech company operating on the global stage.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Work with a highly complex physical system that demands precision design and engineering to tight tolerances, including the optical alignment of lamps, optical fibers and spectrometers

• Identify and resolve complex hardware issues end to end, from root cause analysis through to implemented fix

• Be hands‑on: prototype, build, test, troubleshoot, and iterate on hardware directly. This is not a management‑only role

• Own the hardware engineering lifecycle for CloudSpec, from design and development through testing, production readiness, and continuous improvement

• Define and lead test‑driven development practices across the hardware engineering function

• Manage the full CAD environment and maintain design documentation to a high standard

• Work closely with production to ensure designs are manufacturable, scalable, and consistently delivered to quality

• Lead procurement of R&D components and manage external supplier relationships

• Contribute to CE certification processes and ensure hardware development aligns with relevant regulatory requirements

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Required

• 5+ years of engineering experience working with complex hardware or instrumentation products

• Systems engineering experience spanning both hardware and firmware, with highly proficient mechanical engineering capability

• Hands‑on by nature; you're equally comfortable leading the engineering strategy and solving problems at the bench

• Proven hardware lifecycle and roadmapping experience; you've taken hardware or hardware changes from concept through to production and know what that journey involves

• Highly proficient in CAD software, ideally Fusion 360 and SolidWorks

• Extensive experience with test‑driven development in a hardware context

• Relevant tertiary engineering degree (mechanical, optical, or closely related discipline)

• Able to learn and apply the fundamental scientific principles underpinning our technology (UV‑Vis spectroscopy, optics, photonics)

• Moves at pace and delivers; highly organised, outcome‑focused, and excellent at prioritisation

• Exceptional communicator, clear and direct with technical and non‑technical stakeholders alike

• A genuine team player; senior, steady, and someone the team can rely

Ideal candidates will also bring

• Optical engineering experience, specifically working with lamps or lasers, optical fibers, and spectrometers

• Data processing capability

• Experience scaling a complex physical product

• Startup experience

• Experience in procurement and working with external suppliers

• Experience working in an Agile, Scrum development environment

• Understanding of or experience with CE certification requirements and processes

WHY JOIN US

• Own the hardware engineering function at a world‑class deep‑tech company, with real scope, influence, and impact

• Work on patented, internationally recognised technology that is solving genuine problems for world‑leading life sciences organisations

• Be a key technical leader in a world‑class, high‑performing and high‑trust team that operates at pace

• Broad exposure across optics, firmware, mechanical systems, production, and science; great for your long‑term career development

• A culture built on pace, excellence, and genuine teamwork

Don’t tick every box? Apply anyway.

We care more about drive, curiosity, and the genuine conviction that you’d excel in this role than we do about a perfect match on paper. If this opportunity excites you and you believe you’d do an outstanding job, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we want to hear from you.