Product Design Authority

As Design Authority, you own the technical integrity of assigned products, guiding architecture from concept to lifecycle support. You collaborate across systems, software, electronics, RF, and mech to deliver robust, compliant solutions that meet customer and production needs. You make evidence-based decisions to manage risk, balance cost and schedule, and drive practical outcomes. This role shapes product architecture and engineering practice within a global critical communications company.

• Own the technical direction and integrity of designated products or development projects
• Translate marketing requirements into robust product architectures and solutions
• Lead cross-disciplinary engineering efforts across systems, software, electronics, RF, mechanical, test and verification
• Document rationale, risks and trade-offs for technical decisions
• Ensure designs meet functional, non-functional, compliance, quality, manufacturability and supportability needs
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams and verification activities
• Identify technical risks early and implement mitigation plans
• Clarify technical scope and priorities with project managers
• Translate customer, market and regulatory needs into deliverable solutions
• Collaborate with Operations, Quality and Supply Chain for production, test, service and lifecycle support
• Assess performance against requirements and compliance obligations
• Support obsolescence, supply chain, and engineering change activities with sound alternatives
• Act as go-to technical contact and align stakeholders
• Mentor engineers and promote good engineering practices
• Monitor technology trends and contribute to roadmap discussions
• Occasional travel; UK Security Clearance vetting may be required

• Degree, diploma or equivalent in engineering (systems, electronics, software, RF, mechanical or related)
• Significant senior engineering or technical authority experience
• Broad multidisciplinary engineering understanding across multiple disciplines
• Proven ability to own complex product or project outcomes
• Strong lifecycle understanding: requirements to production introduction and support
• Ability to justify technical decisions with evidence, risk assessment and trade-off analysis
• Knowledge of DFx concepts (design for manufacturability, test, reliability) and change control
• Ability to translate needs into clear technical direction
• Strong communication to technical and non-technical audiences
• Commercial and organizational awareness to balance ambition with delivery and costs
• Analytical, resilient, capable of resolving ambiguity
• Ability to build cross-functional relationships across engineering, product, operations and supply chain
• Commitment to continuous improvement and capability development in others

• Strong communication
• Credibility to challenge assumptions
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Systems engineering across hardware, software, RF, mechanical
• Experience in product architecture and technical leadership
• Knowledge of design for manufacture, test, reliability and compliance