Principal Electrical Engineer

Principal Electronics Engineer

Horsham | £65,000 – £75,000 | Permanent | Hybrid

Our client, a leading name in UK defence engineering, is seeking a Principal Electronics Engineer to help lead electronics design within a growing team of 15 engineers. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced electronics professional to take on a senior technical role, shaping engineering standards while working on cutting-edge defence technology.

The Role

This is a dual Electrical/Electronic function covering:

Electronics Engineer — circuit design, components, and PCB technology, working across EMC, power management, servo control, processor interfacing, and communications

Electrical Engineer — power and signal transmission over wired medium, defining and reviewing overall architecture including power management, system wiring, and production processes

You'll lead headline projects, set the standard for good engineering practice, and act as a role model for less experienced engineers. There's also regular engagement with senior management, directors, and key customers, including support on bids and new business proposals.

Key Responsibilities

Provide subject matter expertise and lead technology development within R&D activities

Deliver technical leadership across multidisciplinary projects

Take a line management support role for a smaller sub-team, overseeing training, development, and resource planning

What You'll Need

Essential:

Strong, IET-accredited degree with c. 10 years' relevant experience

Significant experience leading or supervising projects or people

Solid theoretical and practical understanding of electronics design

Ability to carry out analysis-based work (circuit emulation, performance, power budgets)

Full awareness of the project lifecycle, from bids to ongoing customer support

Strong fault-finding ability at PCB or system level

Desirable:

Chartered Engineer status

Experience with EMC to military standards

Knowledge of motors and drive technology

Familiarity with Altium, Cadence OrCAD, JIRA, Confluence, or MS Project

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