Design Authority (Hardware Development)

DESCRIPTION OF JOB (Main responsibilities and tasks):


As part of the Hardware Team, the Design Authority, also known as the Product Architect, has responsibility for the high level specification and architectural design of new product platforms, and the subsequent resulting technical direction the project takes.

The Design Authority works closely with all the technical disciplines involved in the project, including hardware design (RF & baseband), mechanical design, software design, factory test and introduction, ASIC and PCB design.
 
KEY TASKS


• discussions with Customers, Product Management, Product Marketing and Sales Support designed to bring out requirements for new products or product features;
• review of requirements specifications produced by Product Management & Manufacturing;
• technical ownership of products and platforms across the whole development life-cycle and into production;
• specification of the functionality and performance of product platforms; 
• architectural design of product platforms, and their breakdown into the various sub-systems;
• resolution of technical issues and trade-offs between the engineering disciplines as the project proceeds;
• being a review authority for lower level design in each technical discipline;
• ensuring processes are followed during the project, and that the product platform is well tested;
• ensuring manufacturability and testability of product designs;
• providing technical advice and risk assessments to the Project Manager;
• taking part in Development Phase Reviews with senior management;
• review of data regarding sales, reliability, manufacturability and customer acceptance of the deployed product.

DESCRIPTION OF PERSON (Main skills, personal attributes):


The ideal candidate for this role would meet most of the following requirements:
• experience as an overall embedded product Design Authority
• excellent understanding of electronic, RF, mechanical, digital and software design 
• excellent understanding and appreciation of development processes
• a good understanding of data security and its impact on design
• a flexible approach to working in a transient, project-based environment
• good written and verbal communications skills
• good interpersonal skills and an ability to work as part of a team
• an ability to assess the trade-offs between development cost and functionality or performance
• an ability to think at a system level, and understand a product or product feature as a part of a larger system
• an ability to consider issues from customer and product user perspectives
• an ability to be creative and innovative, and to meet customer requirements in cost effective and elegant ways
• an ability to work to a high level of quality and detail, having understood the “big picture”
• tenacity and an ability to probe issues and understand their root causes;
• an ability to drive the technical issues on a project forward in a time-efficient manner;