Bristol (Hybrid, minimum 3 days in the office)
Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Join us in making sure no one is left without a voice
At Smartbox, our assistive technology empowers people with disabilities who experience speech difficulties to express themselves, connect with others, and live more independent lives.
We're proud to be a global leader in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), supporting people across the UK, US, Europe, and beyond. But what truly sets us apart is our people: passionate, collaborative, and driven by the impact our products have every day.
If you're motivated by meaningful work and want to apply your technical expertise to something that genuinely changes lives, we'd love to hear from you.
The opportunity
You will join a collaborative and high-performing hardware team, working together to deliver meaningful outcomes. We value shared goals, thoughtful problem-solving, and creating technology that makes a real difference.
Based in the heart of Bristol city centre, just off Park Street, our location connects us to a well-established and growing technology community.
You will lead the electronics design and system architecture of our medical-grade tablet computers, taking responsibility for electronic subsystems and overall hardware architecture. In this hands-on leadership role, you will design circuits, select components, build prototypes, and deliver projects, while supporting the team with technical direction and strong engineering practices.
What you'll be doing
You'll bring technical leadership and practical expertise across the product lifecycle, including:
Leading the design, development and delivery of complex electronic systems.
Defining system architecture and subsystem strategies across hardware and firmware.
Designing circuits, reviewing PCB layouts, and building and testing prototypes.
Contributing to firmware development and engineering best practice.
Driving verification, validation and regulatory compliance (including medical standards).
Collaborating with teams across hardware, production, quality, and repairs.
Building strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturing partners.
Mentoring and supporting engineers, helping to grow a collaborative and high-performing team.
Why this role is unique
This isn't a typical electronics role; you'll be working at the intersection of:
Medical-grade hardware and embedded systems.
Assistive technology and accessibility.
Highly integrated, multi-disciplinary products.
We're solving complex, real-world challenges where reliability, usability and performance truly matter, and where your decisions directly impact people's daily lives.
What we're looking for
We're looking for a rare combination of deep technical expertise, curiosity, and purpose-driven thinking.
Essential experience
Strong background in electronics design (analogue, digital, and power).
Experience owning or contributing to complex hardware architectures and subsystems.
Hands-on expertise in circuit design and PCB development.
Embedded firmware experience (C/C++, ideally with RTOS such as Zephyr).
Experience working in regulated environments (e.g. medical, safety-critical).
Knowledge of EMC, safety standards (e.g. IEC 60601) and engineering risk management.
Proven ability to balance technical quality, cost and manufacturability.
Strong communication skills: able to explain complex concepts clearly.
A collaborative mindset with a passion for mentoring and teamwork.
Some areas we often work with include:
Assistive technology, AAC or accessibility-focused products.
Product strategy, supply chains, and long-term platform thinking.
Working closely with manufacturers and external suppliers.
Why join Smartbox
Purpose-driven work with real-world impact.
Collaborative and supportive culture.
Hybrid working and flexibility.
Opportunities to grow, lead and shape future products.
Strong benefits package + wellbeing support.
Inclusion and sustainability
At Smartbox, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
If there's anything we can do to support you during the recruitment process.
We also aim to build sustainability into everything we do, from how we design our products to how we operate as a business
Salary description
£60000.00 - £75000.00 per year