Technical Lead Engineer - Devices

JobSpace; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Free onsite parking

Gym facilities

Café on site

Long service benefits

Active social club

Job summary

Tait Communications is seeking a Lead Design Engineer - Devices in Christchurch to own device software and hardware platforms. You will lead cross-functional teams, align with architecture and product strategy, and oversee external partners to deliver robust, scalable devices across our portfolio.

You will drive technical decisions, mentor engineers, and ensure manufacturing readiness while safeguarding intellectual property and global quality standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing, reviewing, and evolving complex hardware and embedded software systems across design, implementation, testing, and integration.
• Strong hands-on background in embedded software development and/or hardware platform engineering for communications or related technology products.
• End-to-end product lifecycle experience including obsolescence management, manufacturing support, engineering changes, compliance, and supply chain challenges.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end technical ownership for device software and hardware platforms, ensuring architectural coherence and long-term maintainability.
• Lead the technical direction for device software and hardware integration across product ranges.
• Drive specification, development, and delivery of new device platforms aligned to strategy.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams through design, development, verification, and release.

Skills

Embedded software development

Hardware platform engineering

Architecture & design evaluation

Debugging hardware/software

Technical leadership & mentoring

ODM/contract manufacturing

Tools

Android

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

The Lead Design Engineer - Devices provides end-to-end technical ownership and leadership for Tait's device software and hardware platforms. The role exists to provide a single accountable technical leader responsible for device-level architecture, embedded software, hardware integration, and the long-term product lifecycle, ensuring Tait's device portfolio remains manufacturable, supportable, and saleable as the business manages existing platforms and brings new products to market.

The Lead Design Engineer - Devices works within the engineering team, alongside hardware, software, test, manufacturing, and delivery engineers, to turn product intent and technical direction into designs that can be delivered to market. The role provides day-to-day technical leadership across the delivery team, helping engineers make sound design decisions while maintaining alignment with architecture, product strategy, and delivery commitments.

Given the significant use of offshore development and external partners, the role also provides technical oversight of externally delivered work, ensuring it meets Tait's quality standards and long-term product interests, while safeguarding intellectual property and retaining critical engineering knowledge within the Tait operations team.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Provide end-to-end technical ownership for Tait's device software and hardware platforms, ensuring architectural coherence, quality, and long-term maintainability across the portfolio.
• Lead the technical direction for device software (embedded and application layer) and hardware integration across both the Axiom product range and the Aoraki platform.
• Drive the specification, development, and delivery of new device platforms aligned to product and technology strategy.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams throughout design, development, verification, and release activities.
• Partner with Product Management and Solution Architecture to ensure solutions meet customer needs and strategic objectives.
• Oversee product lifecycle engineering, including obsolescence management, engineering changes, compliance, supply chain considerations, and manufacturing support.
• Lead manufacturing readiness activities to ensure designs are optimised for production and operational success.
• Provide technical leadership for regulatory compliance and certification requirements.
• Guide teams through manufacturing readiness activities, ensuring device designs are matched to manufacturing capabilities and production constraints.
• Lead the technical oversight of externally developed engineering work including ODM engagements and third-party development partners ensuring quality, architectural alignment and successful delivery.
• Safeguard intellectual property, technical knowledge, and critical design decisions within the organisation.
• Identify and proactively manage technical risks related to device scalability, operability, security, and long-term product health.
• Act as a senior technical authority, establishing engineering standards and promoting best-practice development across the devices team.

You are an outstanding senior engineer and technical leader, recognised for your ability to operate across complex hardware and embedded software systems and the full product lifecycle. You bring deep experience with device engineering and are comfortable owning difficult technical decisions in a fast-moving, delivery-focused environment.

You will bring:

• Proven experience designing, reviewing, and evolving complex hardware and embedded software systems across design, implementation, testing, and integration.
• Strong hands-on background in embedded software development and/or hardware platform engineering for communications or related technology products.
• Ideally, experience developing 5G-capable devices using Android as the platform operating system.
• End-to-end product lifecycle experience, including obsolescence management, manufacturing support, engineering changes, compliance, and supply chain challenges.
• Strong architecture and design evaluation skills, with the ability to compare design approaches and assess long-term impacts on quality, scalability, and manufacturability.
• The ability to debug, diagnose, and resolve complex hardware and embedded software issues, and to guide others in correcting faulty designs.
• Confidence to review and critique designs, and to train and mentor others in sound engineering and design practices.
• Experience working with ODMs, contract manufacturers, or external development partners, with a strong focus on quality, sustainability, and retention of system knowledge.
• The judgement and maturity to assess technical and delivery risks and respond appropriately.
• Awareness of security best practice and how emerging security legislation affects product development and ongoing device support.

Ngā painga - What's in it for you?

We are an employer that is committed to making a difference for families and communities and supporting people to build rewarding careers. We achieve this through employing people who connect with our Values (Commitment to listen. Courage to Act and Integrity to Deliver) that underpin our way of working together. We are committed to investing in our people, developing both individuals and teams to support a high-performance culture.

• We prioritise your wellbeing through health insurance, annual flu vaccinations and extra sick leave in your first year.
• We provide a comfortable work environment through modern office facilities with free onsite parking, gym, and café.
• We recognise your commitment through long service benefits.
• We balance work with fun through our active social club!

About Us

For more than 50 years, Tait Communications has been designing, delivering, and supporting critical communications networks for public safety, transportation and utility customers around the world. Founded in Christchurch by Sir Angus Tait, we now have a network of customers and offices that spans the globe.

Our employees value being part of a creative team committed to providing technological solutions that make a real difference to the communities we support. By joining Tait, you'll be joining a community of people with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, who care deeply about their work and the genuine impact it has for our customers, and who support each other to grow and develop.

Diversity & Inclusion Statement

Tait Communications is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to succeed. We are encourage applications from all backgrounds to apply.