Practice Manager - Electrical & Software Engineering

INTRODUCTION SUMMARY We are on the lookout for a talented and ambitious Project Manager or, Technical Team Leader with an interest in moving into Project Management, to join our Programme Management team here in Cambridge, UK. The role will work with our Defence & Security clients, undertaking the development of innovative new products across the entire product life cycle. The role will be primarily project management for our defence and security clients within UK government, although there may be scope to get involved in a variety of projects for our commercial and wider public sector clients. Projects typically consist of early concept work, through prototype manufacture, to new product introduction, often surmounting considerable technical challenges as we push the boundary of what is possible. We combine highly creative lateral thinking with excellent technical skills and we’re looking for broad defence and security industry experience to help us form powerful development teams. WHAT WE CAN OFFER We can offer you variety, and the chance to work in a dynamic environment buzzing with the excitement of innovation that is having a real effect on people’s lives. The projects you will lead will typically be highly complex, spanning the entire product development lifecycle. You will take full responsibility for delivering the agreed project objectives within the authorised time and budget constraints whilst managing multi-disciplinary teams of talented engineers, scientists, and designers in delivering novel products and services to market for a wide variety of clients. You will always have the support of experienced Programme Managers ready to guide you towards more complex projects as your career develops. We believe that a supportive environment is the way to bring the best out of each other. We will actively promote your progression and provide you with the opportunity to take on increasingly challenging tasks. Your specific responsibilities will vary according to your expertise but are likely to include: * Developing project proposals that meet our government clients’ commercial and technical requirements – this will be primarily for UK-based government clients * Delivering projects with a significant amount of S&T (Science and Technology) or Research and Development content * Management of the delivery of projects that solve complex, multi-disciplinary technical challenges, across multi-office teams * Team building and leadership of multiple project teams * Capturing technical product requirements and resolving system level discussions, requiring a strong technical background * Experience of managing end‑to‑end bidding and tendering processes, including bid management, stakeholder engagement and governance. * Running meetings with clients, presenting and communicating ideas and concepts to all disciplines * Working with Business Developers in building relationships with clients to understand their programme needs. * The ability to lead, influence and motivate an extensive team to deliver exploitable project outputs; * The ability to manage and influence stakeholders to ensure project success. This role will require some domestic UK-based travel but is focussed on managing project teams within the Cambridge office. We have adopted a hybrid working model, with a mix of both home and office working, based on project need but the expectation for 3 days on site per week.   WHAT YOU CAN BRING You will have experience of project managing small to medium sized technical product development projects or are a technical lead of an engineering discipline within a larger project.  Ideally you will have a degree in engineering, or a relevant scientific discipline, with hands-on experience of planning tasks and tracking the progress of a team to deliver against those tasks whilst addressing issue as they arise. Naturally you will also have strong time management, written and verbal communication, and organisational skills. Our UK government work and client base coves a very broad spectrum, so we would also be very interested if you have any of the following: * UK Government security clearance * A passion for innovation * A technical background in Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Physics, Chemistry or Sensing systems * New product introduction / design for manufacture experience * Previous experience of working at a consulting / fee for service organisation * A strong desire to deliver outputs for Defence through Science and Technology * Existing knowledge of best practice in the delivery of projects * People skills and networks to build strong working relationships across the defence and security innovation ecosystem, including UK MOD, DSTL, Defence Innovation Unit and Innovation Hubs, a range of security customers and Government departments * Formal project management credentials such as APMP, PRINCE2 etc. * Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check, be able to obtain  UK government security clearance and must be a UK passport holder.     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By submitting an application to Cambridge Consultants, you confirm that the information provided in this application, together with any supporting documentation, is true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief. You understand that any false statement, misleading information, or material omission may render you liable to disqualification from the recruitment process, withdrawal of any offer of employment, or dismissal without notice if discovered following appointment. You acknowledge that the organisation reserves the right to verify the information supplied. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMPANY PROFILE Location:                           Waterbeach, UK Department:                      Engineering Reports to:                        Engineering Manager  Type:                                  Full-time, Permanent   Company Profile Thermoteknix Systems Ltd, founded in 1982 and based in Cambridge, is a world leader in thermal imaging, night vision, and augmented reality systems. Our award-winning technologies are trusted by defence, security, and industrial customers in over 70 countries. With in-house R&D, cutting-edge innovation, and a global reputation for quality, we design and manufacture solutions that perform in the toughest environments. ABOUT YOU Role Overview The Senior Electronics Engineer will take technical ownership of electronic hardware design across new and existing Thermoteknix products. The role will involve leading the design, development, verification, and support of complex electronic systems, working closely with firmware, software, mechanical, production, and project teams.   This is a hands-on senior engineering role suited to someone with strong electronic design experience, sound technical judgement, and the ability to take products from concept through prototype, verification, and transfer into manufacture. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute both as an individual designer and as a technical lead within the R&D team.   Key Responsibilities * Lead the design and development of electronic hardware for new and existing products. * Take ownership of electronic design activities from concept through to production release. * Design analogue, digital, power, video, embedded, and mixed-signal electronics for compact and ruggedised products. * Produce schematics, design calculations, PCB layout guidance, bills of materials, and supporting technical documentation. * Review and approve electronic designs, ensuring they meet technical, commercial, manufacturability, and reliability requirements. * Work closely with firmware and software engineers to integrate electronics with FPGA, microcontroller, sensor, display, video, and communication interfaces. * Lead prototype bring-up, board-level debugging, system integration, verification testing, and fault finding. * Support EMC, environmental, reliability, and compliance testing where required. * Contribute to technical architecture decisions for new products and product improvements. * Support design reviews, risk assessments, requirements capture, and development planning. * Mentor and support junior engineers, providing technical guidance and design review input. * Work with production and test teams to support transfer into manufacture, including test procedures, production documentation, and troubleshooting. * Investigate and resolve complex technical issues across development and production hardware. * Support component selection, obsolescence management, alternative part qualification, and supplier engagement. * Maintain high standards of design control, documentation, configuration management, and engineering best practice.   Required Skills & Experience * Degree or equivalent experience in Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline. * Significant experience designing electronic hardware for commercial, industrial, defence, aerospace, scientific, or other high-performance products. * Strong knowledge of analogue, digital, power, and mixed-signal circuit design. * Experience taking electronic designs from concept through to prototype, verification, and production release. * Experience with schematic capture and PCB design processes. * Practical experience with electronic test equipment, including oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analysers, and power supplies. * Ability to debug complex electronic systems at board and system level. * Experience of embedded systems, microcontrollers, FPGA interfaces, or sensor integration. * Experience designing for reliability, manufacturability, and testability. * Good written and verbal communication skills. * Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering team.   Desirable Skills & Experience * Experience with imaging systems, thermal cameras, night vision, displays, or electro-optical products. * Knowledge of video interfaces, MIPI, LVDS, USB, Ethernet, SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, or similar communication protocols. * Experience with low-power electronic design. * Experience with battery-powered or portable products. * Knowledge of EMC design principles and environmental testing. * Experience with Altium Designer or similar PCB design tools. * Familiarity with defence, aerospace, or ruggedised product development. * Experience supporting products through prototype build, qualification, and production release. * Understanding of component lifecycle management and obsolescence control.   Personal Attributes * Practical, hands-on, and comfortable working with real hardware. * Strong problem-solving mindset with good attention to detail. * Able to work independently while contributing effectively to a wider team. * Comfortable working in a fast-moving engineering environment with changing priorities. * Curious, technically driven, and keen to develop new skills. * Takes ownership of tasks and follows through to completion. * Able to balance innovation with manufacturability, reliability, and commercial requirements. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for our roles. WHY US? * Opportunity to work on advanced thermal imaging, night vision, and augmented reality systems. * Involvement in the full product development lifecycle from concept to production. * A varied and technically challenging role within a specialist UK engineering company. * Training and career development opportunities. * Competitive salary and benefits package.