Senior Engineer - Electronics

Level: IC4

Department: R&D - Electronics

Location: Waterbeach

About Xaar

Inkjet Innovator. Trusted Partner. Sustainable Future. Xaar is here to create a world where you can print anything you can imagine.

For more information, visit www.xaar.com.

Purpose of Role
Xaar is developing a range of rule breaking inkjet print heads for an ever-increasing range of industrial markets ranging from ceramics through to additive manufacture. A Xaar print head can have more than a thousand nozzles, each of which has to be dynamically controlled through hardware to create stunning images printed at astonishing speeds.
You will become a key member of a small, but flexible team that provides the electronics, mixed signal ASICs, embedded software and/or software applications that drive the groundbreaking actuators. 
This individual will specify, develop, test, debug and support the customer adoption of printhead solutions. They may be involved in the realisation of ASICs, printhead design, datapath specification and design, through to Ink system design test equipment. These could be developed in house, with design partners or directly by OEMs.
Freedom to make decisions
  • Recommend ideas and develop plans within your team, with support from your Team Lead. 
  • Contribute to decisions within your team, as well as in R&D as a whole.
Complexity 
  • Provide Electronics support (design, build and test) to multiple functional areas and stakeholders.
  • Work across different sites (Cambridge and Huntingdon).
  • Balance operational demands with the need for longer term planning and thinking.

Planning horizon 

  • Generally working on projects with horizon ranging from 3-12 months.
Key Accountabilities 
Accountabilities will vary depending on experience, however they may include:
• Specification and/or design of reference datapath hardware that lives outside the printhead. This may include analogue power amplifiers, FPGAs and/or ASICs that convert images into actuator waveforms.
• Design of board level hardware including Printhead circuits and high speed flexible interconnect solutions within a printhead.
• Design and support of internal test equipment used for the qualification of Xaar products.
• Writing of embedded software and/or test scripts using C/C++/python.
• Product qualification potentially including HTOL, HALT, EMC etc.
• Technical support of customers’ integration projects. Systems integration, design consultancy and onsite technical training.
About you
Knowledge, experience and qualifications:
• Experience in 3 or more of the following areas: Digital, systems, FPGA, PCB, Analogue design.
• Good degree or equivalent in a related subject i.e. Electronic Engineering.
• Multiple proven hardware designs delivered with a right first-time approach.
• Experience using Altium (or similar schematic entry package) for schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Experience in designing digital circuits, digital interfaces, high speed LVDS.
• Applicants should have some experience in the design and development of analogue circuits, particularly in the design of switch mode power supplies, and spice modelling.
• Knowledge of data communications protocols
• Some experience of embedded software using C/C++ or of the use of python for test scripts or modelling
• Working with external design partners, customers, suppliers or contractors.
Desirable Experience:
• FPGA design and implementation.
• Verilog/System Verilog/ VHDL
• Embedded programming experience using C, C++ or similar
• Some direct customer exposure
• Experience of CMOS and/or mixed signal ASIC development; solid understanding of ASIC flow.
• Experience of working with mains voltage UK and / or US (“Low Voltage”) and appropriate standards
• Use of task & bug management with Jira or similar Agile tools.
Skills & Behaviours:
• Comfortable working within a small agile team where their contribution, energy, enthusiasm and drive to deliver high quality will be critical.
• Confident communicator, able to adjust their style when explaining complex technical issues to peers, managers, customers etc. 
• Influential with peers, able to lead technical discussions, make decisions and deliver results
• Keen to build technical relationships with customers and/or partners.