Technical Lead - Embedded

Job Description

ROLE OVERVIEW- We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Technical Engineer/Technical Lead to join our Electronics Embedded Systems R&D team. You will serve as a key technical authority driving end-to-end design, development, integration, and qualification of advanced embedded electronic systems for next-generation drone platforms. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you will lead junior engineers and cross-functional collaborators while maintaining strong hands-on technical contribution ensuring solutions are high-quality, manufacturable, cost-effective, and compliant with applicable performance and regulatory standards. This dual-track role demands both deep technical expertise and the leadership acumen to deliver predictable, milestone-driven outcomes across the full product development lifecycle.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Leadership & Engineering Delivery Technical Ownership: Lead end-to-end development of electronics and embedded systems from architecture definition and schematic design through PCB layout oversight, firmware development, system integration, and productionisation. Ensure deliverables meet quality, performance, and reliability standards.

Project Planning & Execution: Own full project planning including task decomposition, milestone scheduling, resource allocation, risk management, and dependency tracking. Drive predictable, milestone-driven delivery with strong accountability.

Design Direction & Trade-off Analysis: Provide authoritative technical guidance on architecture decisions, component selection, integration strategies, and design trade-offs. Conduct milestone reviews (TRRS, CDRS, PRRs) and gate assessments.

Cross-Functional Integration: Serve as the primary technical point of contact for project status, escalations, and leadership reporting. Ensure smooth integration with mechanical, software, systems, and manufacturing teams through structured interface management.

Firmware Development Architect, write, review, and maintain optimised, reusable, and scalable firmware in Embedded C for ARM Cortex-M and other microcontroller architectures, including bare-metal environments. Collaborate with flight software and systems teams on hardware-firmware co-design, integration, and regression testing.

Design for Manufacturing, Quality & Reliability Ensure designs are efficiently manufacturable, serviceable, and scalable, meeting high standards of quality and long-term operational reliability in harsh environments. Drive DFM/DFT enhancements, BOM optimisation, component rationalisation, and power efficiency, thermal management, and signal integrity improvements. Prepare and maintain design reports, test documentation, and certification artefacts in alignment with PLM and configuration management practices.

Testing, Validation & Root Cause Analysis Define validation strategies and create comprehensive test plans and protocols to verify design performance against functional, environmental, and regulatory specifications. Lead system-level integration and troubleshooting; drive root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for validation and field issues. Oversee certification readiness and support formal verification activities.

Cost Optimisation & Indigenisation Drive cost-effective development strategies, continuous BOM cost reduction, and component rationalisation to improve supply chain resilience. Lead indigenisation efforts for key electronic sub-systems - identify local sourcing opportunities, reduce import dependency, and qualify domestic suppliers.

• Work with procurement and supply chain to evaluate, qualify, and optimise component sourcing aligned with cost, availability, and performance constraints.

Innovation & Technology Integration Evaluate and integrate new components, sensors, ICs, and sub-systems in alignment with product roadmaps and technical constraints. Leverage Al tools and digital design aids to enhance design review, verification, documentation, risk prediction, and development efficiency. Implement CI/CD-inspired and parallel workflow strategies adapted for hardware development to reduce cycle times and improve throughput.

Compliance, Documentation & Knowledge Management Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, the organisation's Product Development Process (PDP), and design QA frameworks (FMEA, test coverage matrices, formal verification). Author and continuously update SOPs, work instructions, design guidelines, and technical documentation for the Electronics R&D function; maintain accurate, traceable records across the design lifecycle. Establish and sustain a structured engineering knowledge base supporting onboarding, design reuse, and institutional learning; support audit readiness and design quality reviews

Team Leadership, Mentorship & Culture -Provide hands-on coaching and technical mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers across schematic design, PCB review, firmware, and test methodologies; support hiring and structured onboarding. Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement; promote capability development through structured training programmes.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Core Electronics & Embedded Systems

• Circuit Design

Strong fundamentals in electronics, microcontroller-based embedded systems, and digital/analogue circuit design. Hands-on experience with passive/active components, ICs, sensors, signal conditioning, power management, and RF modules.

Communication Protocols

Proficiency with standard interfaces: UART, SPI, I'C, CAN, USB, PWM, Ethernet, and wireless protocols.

• Power & Drive Electronics

Knowledge of power electronics, battery management systems (BMS), motor drive circuits, and drone-specific sub-systems is highly desirable

Component Selection

Proficient in component selection and integration based on technical requirements, sourcing constraints, cost targets, and application-specific trade-offs.

Simulation & Signal Integrity

Experience with hardware simulation tools and signal integrity analysis.

Design Tools & Documentation

EDA/PCB Tools

Proficient in Altium Designer, Eagle, KiCad, or equivalent EDA platforms for schematic capture and PCB design.

Design Documentation PDM/PLM Systems

Skilled in creating block diagrams, schematics, design calculations, BOMs, test reports, and structured technical documentation. Familiarity with PDM/PLM systems for document management and design change control.

• Harness & Wiring Tools

Exposure to cable/connector qualification and wiring/harness drawing tools (e.g., Creo Schematics / Creo Parametric Cabling) is an advantage.

Firmware Development

Embedded C/ Firmware

Expertise in writing optimised, reusable, scalable Embedded C code for ARM Cortex-M and other microcontroller architectures; experience with bare-metal programming, version control, and firmware build systems.

Testing, Debugging & Verification

Lab Instrumentation

Proficiency with oscilloscopes, logic analysers, spectrum analysers, multimeters, and power supplies.

Test Planning & Validation

Ability to create and execute comprehensive test plans across functional, environmental, reliability, and regulatory parameters.

• Debugging & CAPA

Strong debugging and problem-solving skills throughout development, integration, and system-level validation; ability to identify root causes and drive corrective/preventive actions.

Standards & Regulatory Compliance

Industry Standards

Leadership & Professional Competencies Autonomy & Ownership

Working knowledge of applicable regulatory certification requirements, EMI/EMC principles, design-for-compliance practices, and IPC standards for PCB fabrication and assembly quality. Ability to work independently with high autonomy; demonstrated ownership, accountability, and sound decision-making under pressure.

Communication

Excellent analytical, verbal, and technical writing skills; able to present technical material clearly to engineering and non-technical stakeholders alike.

Stakeholder Influence

Proven ability to lead without direct authority, influence peers, and align cross-functional stakeholders across departments.

Learning Agility

High learning agility and commitment to staying current with emerging technologies, tools, and industry best practices.

EDUCATION -B.E./B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Embedded Systems, or a related discipline. M.Tech/ M.E. preferred.

Experience -10+ years of progressive experience in Electronics Embedded Systems R&D, with at least 4 years in a senior or technical lead role.

Domain Preference-Prior experience in drone / UAV, aerospace, defence, robotics, or industrial embedded systems for high-reliability or safety-critical applications is strongly preferred.

WHAT WE OFFER - A pivotal technical leadership role in a fast-growing, innovation-driven drone design and manufacturing organisation. End-to-end ownership across the electronics hardware and firmware development lifecycle. Exposure to cutting-edge embedded systems technologies, avionics-grade standards, and multi-disciplinary product development. Opportunities to contribute to indigenous development, IP creation, and strategic technology partnerships. • A collaborative, high-performance culture that values technical depth, ownership, and continuous learning.

Skills