The Opportunity
We're looking for an Electronics Engineer with strong electronic circuit and PCB design skills to design and develop advanced electro-optical systems used in Air Defence, cUAS and Surveillance and Target Tracking applications. Our systems are deployed globally to protect critical military and civilian operations where seamless integration of our products with partner systems is the difference between providing a tactical advantage and saving lives.
You’ll work in a fast-paced, high-impact environment, juggling multiple projects and taking ownership of your designs from concept through to deployment. Your work will be hands-on, technically challenging, and directly operational, giving you autonomy and the satisfaction of seeing your designs perform in real-world applications.
This is a practical, high-responsibility role where your PCB expertise, system design skills, and problem-solving ability will shape production-ready electronics that deliver real-world performance and reliability.
Who We Are
OpenWorks is a rapidly growing company operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.
Our products provide ultra-high-performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification, and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high-profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided, and maliciously deployed drones during operations.
We are proud to support a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting some of the most high-profile sites and individuals worldwide.
The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
Join a high-energy, collaborative team where great ideas thrive, challenges are embraced, and people genuinely love what they do.
Here’s what our benefits have to offer:
Rewarding Success - Competitive salary, starting from £35,000, plus a discretionary annual bonus of up to 25% of salary alongside a structured pay progression framework.
Enhanced Pension – Up to 8% employer-matched contributions to help you plan for the future.
More Time to Recharge – 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays, long-service rewards, and the option to buy up to 5 extra days.
Breakfast & Lunch on Us – Enjoy team breakfasts and freshly prepared lunches every day courtesy of Chef Mark and his team.
Health & Wellbeing – Private healthcare and life assurance for added peace of mind.
Sustainable Travel – Salary sacrifice schemes, including EV car and Cycle to Work options.
Team Socials – Regular events, from quiz nights and football to board games and more.
Learning & Growth – A culture that empowers you to challenge, grow and make an impact, plus a £250 annual learning budget to invest in the development that matters most to you.
The Engineering Challenge
Our mission is critical. Counter-UAS represents a uniquely asymmetric threat and is a top priority for militaries across NATO and allied nations.
You’ll design high-tech electronic systems that power world-leading drone interception technology, with PCB layout and rapid prototyping at the core of your work.
From schematic capture and PCB design to system architecture, debugging, and integration, you’ll play a hands-on role in delivering high-performance, reliable products that operate in demanding real-world environments.
What you’ll be doing
- PCB Design & Prototyping – design and assemble prototype PCBs, perform hands-on debugging, and validate electronics
- System Design – develop robust electronics for electro-optical and autonomous products
- Mentoring & Knowledge Sharing – review designs and share best practices with junior engineers
- Supply Chain & Component Management – manage component obsolescence and integrate new technologies
- Trials & Field Support – assist with troubleshooting and support of fielded systems and supporting internal and external trial activities
- Production-Ready Delivery – ensure electronics are ready for manufacturing and operational deployment
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – work closely with Systems, Software, and Mechanical engineers to solve complex integration challenges
What we’re looking for
- Degree-qualified – Electronics/Electrical Engineering or a related discipline
- PCB Expertise – hands-on PCB design and prototyping, including soldering, rework, and assembly; able to take electronics requirements through to fully designed, assembled, verified, and integrated components with minimal oversight
- Hardware Design – experience with schematic capture, system diagrams, hardware debugging, and designing with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in mind
- High-Speed Interfaces – practical experience with SPI, I²C, UART, and high-speed data transmission via Ethernet, USB, or similar protocols
- Production-Ready Systems – proven track record delivering electronics into production
- Technical Mentoring & Guidance – provide support and review work of junior engineers, sharing expertise and best practices
- Technical Curiosity – innovative problem solver with practical electronics knowledge
- Attention to Detail – disciplined engineering approach and commitment to quality
- Collaboration – clear communicator, thrives in multidisciplinary teams
- Adaptability – comfortable in a fast-paced environment with multiple concurrent projects
What you’ll get
- Impactful work – design electronics that protect critical infrastructure and personnel worldwide
- Autonomy – take ownership of projects and key systems while making real engineering decisions
- End-to-end exposure – see your PCBs and electronics progress from concept to field deployment
- Cross-disciplinary teamwork – work alongside mechanical, software, firmware, and systems engineers
- Career growth – develop your skills within a fast-growing, ambitious engineering company
- Flexibility – as a highly collaborative team, we value working together on-site, but fully support flexible hours and remote work where possible
As a fast growing company, with almost 100 people which is continually expanding, we offer the opportunity for a professional to have autonomy and responsibility. You’ll directly see the impact of your efforts.
Don’t worry if you don’t meet all of the criteria – we’re interested in talented engineers with the right mindset and core skills. If you’re excited by the challenge and meet most of the requirements, we encourage you to get in touch.
More about us
Vision
Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.
Mission
Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence.
Values
Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest
Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done
Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility
We are one team: Look out for each other and the team
Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on
Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people
