Midlands Archives | KO2 Recruitment

Product Cybersecurity & Firmware Engineer

Product Cybersecurity & Firmware Engineer
Nottingham area (Hybrid WFH) | £60,000 – £70,000

KO2 is working with a well-established, global manufacturer of high-tech electronic products to appoint a Senior Product Cybersecurity & Firmware Engineer. This hands-on, senior role embeds cybersecurity and secure networking capability across a leading-edge product portfolio, sitting at the intersection of embedded engineering and product compliance.

The Role

You’ll lead cybersecurity assessment and remediation while directly contributing to the design, development, and validation of secure, network-connected product features — working closely with firmware, hardware, test, compliance, and quality teams to keep products ahead of evolving regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Lead cybersecurity assessments: identifying risks, vulnerabilities, and remediations
Design and implement secure, network-connected product functionality, including HTTPS/TLS and RFC-based networking
Write, review, and maintain production code for cybersecurity and network features
Support compliance with the Cyber Resilience Act, EN18031, and IEC 62443, including technical documentation
Investigate and resolve vulnerabilities; support patching and secure update strategies
(Desired) Provide technical leadership and best-practice guidance across engineering teams

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

5+ years’ embedded software/systems engineering, including production code delivery, in a relevant wireless or high-tech industry
Experience with network-connected products and protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP/S)
Hands-on secure communications/cybersecurity feature implementation
Embedded C or C++ 11/14
RTOS experience (ThreadX, Azure RTOS, or FreeRTOS)
Bare-metal development and low-level driver experience
Familiarity with cybersecurity standards/frameworks (e.g. IEC 62443)
Strong diagnostic, problem-solving, and communication skills

Desirable:

Awareness of the Cyber Resilience Act and connected-product regulations
Experience supporting compliance, certification, or customer cybersecurity requests
ARM Cortex-M / STM32 experience
Exposure to SPI, I2C, I2S, UART, DMA
Hardware test and debug experience

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

Package: £60,000–£70,000 DOE | 37.5 hrs/week | Hybrid | Well-resourced team delivering a genuinely leading-edge development programme.

Get in touch with KO2 today with an up to date CV for a confidential conversation.

Electronics Engineer – Work from Home

Electronics Engineer | Birmingham
£48,000 – £60,000 | Home Based (Office Optional)

Our client is a Birmingham-based innovator whose novel sensing technologies convert real-world physical data into meaningful, actionable intelligence. Their work underpins strategic decision-making for some of the biggest companies in the world, giving them the hard evidence they need to move with confidence. This is a business built on precision engineering and rigorous data, not guesswork.

The Role

They are looking for an Electronics Engineer with embedded software capability to join their R&D team. You’ll work across circuit design, PCB layout, and firmware development, helping to build the next generation of sensing instrumentation from the ground up.

Work However Suits You Best

This is a genuinely flexible role. Home working is fully supported, and for most of the team it is essentially work from home, with the office there if and when you want it or need it. The only fixed requirement is a fortnightly R&D team meeting, usually a Friday morning, so you stay connected with the wider engineering group. Outside of that, how and where you work is largely up to you. Part-time applicants and flexible hours will also be considered.

What You’ll Be Doing

Collaborating on electrical circuit design and PCB layout, with an eye on minimising manufacturing variance downstream
Developing, debugging, and testing firmware for next-generation digital instrumentation
Diagnosing and resolving hardware and codebase issues, supporting the wider test engineering effort
Taking ownership of features and components within active project workstreams
Maintaining clear technical documentation and working within an agile, sprint-based environment

What We’re Looking For

A background in electronics engineering with genuine embedded software experience, comfortable working across both hardware and firmware
Confidence with PCB design and schematic capture tools such as Altium or KiCad
Solid understanding of circuit design, PCB layout, and digital signal processing (DSP)
Awareness of design for manufacture, including EMC, RoHS, and WEEE considerations
Firmware or systems programming experience, ideally C and/or Verilog
A methodical, detail-focused approach and the ability to manage your own workload independently

Good to Have

Experience designing to ATEX (IEC 60079-11) or environmental testing (IEC 60068-2) standards
PLC programming experience, particularly Siemens S7
Familiarity with STM32 or Zynq SoCs

If you want the autonomy of a home-based role without losing the option of office collaboration when it matters, this is worth a conversation.

Power Electronics Engineer

June 4, 2026/in Midlands Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Power Electronics Engineer

Location: Norwich – mainly onsite role

KO2’s client is an innovative engineering company specialising in the design and development of advanced electronic solutions. Due to continued growth, they are looking to recruit an experienced Electronics Engineer to join their engineering team in Norwich.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies, developing power electronics hardware for next-generation platforms. The successful candidate will play a key role in the design, development, validation, and production release of power electronic systems including DC-DC converters, traction inverters, battery chargers, and associated control and interface circuitry.

The role would suit an engineer with a strong background in power electronics who enjoys taking designs from initial concept through to production release while ensuring products are robust, manufacturable, cost-effective, and capable of meeting demanding performance and reliability targets.

The Role

As an Electronics Engineer, you will:

Design and develop power electronics hardware including DC-DC converters, traction inverters, battery chargers, and associated control, sensing, and communication circuits.
Support projects through the full development lifecycle, from concept and schematic design through PCB layout, prototyping, validation, and production introduction.
Design power stages, gate drives, analogue and digital interfaces, sensing circuits, protection systems, communications interfaces, and thermal management solutions.
Apply structured engineering methodologies including design reviews, tolerance analysis, derating, FMEA, and design-for-manufacture principles.
Ensure designs are robust against environmental variation, component tolerances, manufacturing variation, EMC requirements, and real-world operating conditions.
Collaborate closely with firmware, controls, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and quality teams to deliver production-ready products.

Key Requirements

To be successful in this role, you will have:

Proven experience in power electronics hardware design within automotive, industrial, motorsport, electrification, or related sectors.
Experience developing DC-DC converters, traction inverters, battery chargers, or other high-power electronic systems.
Strong understanding of power electronics topologies including three-phase inverter bridges, resonant converters, bidirectional DC-DC converters, and PFC circuits.
Knowledge of design methodologies such as FMEA, derating, tolerance analysis, DFM, DFA, DFT, and design-for-cost.
Good understanding of electronics manufacturing processes including PCB fabrication, assembly, production tolerances, and yield optimisation.
Experience supporting products through prototype, pilot build, validation, and production release phases.
Experience using simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, LTspice, Simetrix, or equivalent.
Experience with electronic CAD tools, ideally Altium Designer.
Strong understanding of PCB layout considerations for power electronics, including EMC, thermal management, isolation, grounding, creepage, and clearance requirements.
Experience with EMC compliance, debugging, and mitigation techniques.

What’s on Offer?

Opportunity to work on advanced electric drive and power electronics technologies.
Exposure to cutting-edge automotive and mobility projects.
Collaborative engineering environment with genuine technical challenges.
Competitive salary package.
Long-term career development opportunities within a growing technology-focused organisation.

Apply today with an up to date CV and a member of the KO2 Recruitment team will be in touch to discuss.

Senior Electronics Engineer

January 23, 2026/in Midlands, South Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Senior Electronics Engineer

Salary: Up to £85,000
Location: Cambridge (Hybrid – 1 day per week from home)

KO2’s client is a highly respected, product-led company at the forefront of regulated technology development. They’re looking for a Senior Electronics Engineer to join a collaborative, forward-thinking engineering team working on complex, high-impact products.

This role is ideal for an engineer with strong experience across analogue and digital electronics, multilayer PCB design, firmware and an interest in FPGA development. You’ll be involved throughout the product lifecycle, contributing to innovative solutions in a highly regulated environment where precision, quality, and compliance truly matter.

The Role

Design and develop analogue and digital electronic systems for regulated products
Design multilayer PCB’s
Contribute to firmware development
Work within structured, compliant development processes
Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams
Contribute to FPGA development as part of cutting-edge product designs

What They’re Looking For

A strong background in analogue and digital electronics
Experience with, or a genuine interest in, FPGA design using Verilog
A mindset suited to regulated industries, with a focus on quality, documentation, and compliance
Ability to work within a collaborative team environment

This is a fantastic opportunity for an Electronics Engineer who enjoys solving complex problems, working on meaningful products, and thriving in environments where engineering excellence is essential.

Benefits Package

Profit share (including a tax-free element)
26 days holiday + bank holidays + buy/sell options
9% employer pension contribution from day one
Private medical insurance
Death in service & income protection

Apply today to KO2’s client and play a key role in shaping the future of innovative, regulated product design.

Senior Firmware Engineer

December 18, 2025/in Midlands Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Senior Firmware Engineer

Salary: Up to £70,000 DOE + Benefits
Location: Nottingham

KO2’s client is looking to add an experienced Senior Firmware Engineer to their growing engineering team. This is a technically focused senior role, offering a strong balance of hands-on embedded development (around 70%) alongside technical leadership (around 30%).

This opportunity suits an engineer who enjoys staying close to the code while also influencing architecture, project delivery, and technical direction.

You’ll be working on the development of embedded firmware across a range of platforms, contributing to system architecture, guiding project approach, and ensuring high standards of delivery. While this isn’t a purely managerial position, it does include responsibility for technical leadership, mentoring, and some line management.

Responsibilities

Hands-on development of embedded firmware using C
Working across bare-metal, RTOS, and embedded Linux environments
Contributing to and owning aspects of software system architecture
Setting technical direction, standards, and best practice
Supporting project estimation, planning, and delivery approach
Monitoring progress to ensure work is delivered to the required quality, time, and budget
Providing technical leadership and mentoring to engineers
Conducting 1-to-1s and line management where required
Collaborating with hardware, systems, and wider engineering teams

Experience Required

Strong commercial experience in embedded C / firmware development
Background working on bare-metal, RTOS, and Linux-based systems
Experience contributing to firmware or software architecture
Comfortable balancing hands-on development with leadership responsibilities
Able to estimate work and support technical project delivery
Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset

What’s on Offer

Salary up to £70k DOE
A senior technical role with genuine influence
A strong mix of coding and leadership
Opportunity to work on complex embedded systems within a growing team

If you’re a Senior Firmware Engineer looking for a role that still values deep technical contribution alongside leadership, please apply or contact KO2 for more information.

Embedded Software Engineer

December 8, 2025/in Midlands, South Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Embedded Software Engineer

Hybrid – One day every fortnight in Milton Keynes

£45,000 – £60,000

KO2’s client is looking for an Embedded Software Engineer to join their R&D team. The role is hybrid, with on-site time set at one day every fortnight. There are no fixed weekly office requirements.

You’ll work on embedded software for digitally controlled power supplies, writing Embedded C for bare-metal microcontrollers. The system uses two micros: one for the PFC stage and one for the inverter and final DC stage. You’ll take ownership of one of these areas and contribute to the wider embedded software development within the team.

You’ll also work alongside a Senior Embedded Software Engineer who will provide mentoring where needed. The client is open to applicants from junior through to senior level, as long as you can demonstrate solid skills in embedded software development. Power electronics experience is not required, but you should be comfortable with basic electronics.

What you’ll work on:

• Embedded C on bare metal

• Control software for digitally managed power supplies

• One of two microcontroller stages (PFC or inverter/DC stage)

• Collaboration with an experienced senior engineer on core embedded software tasks

Skills/ Experience needed:

• Strong Embedded C skills

• Embedded bare-metal or RTOS experience

• Interest in power-related products

• Ability to read electronic schematics and use lab equipment (bench PSU, oscilloscope)

• Experience with Git and Agile

If you want to work on real hardware, grow your embedded software skills, and join a flexible engineering team, this role will suit you well.

Electronics Engineer

November 14, 2025/in Midlands, South Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Electronics Engineer
Location: Peterborough

Salary: £45,000 to £50,000 + Bonus

KO2’s client is a specialist engineering business in Peterborough that designs and develops complex, rugged machines built to operate reliably in harsh and demanding environments. With a small and focused R&D team, they are now looking for an Electronics Engineer to support the ongoing improvement and maintenance of an established product range.

This role is ideal for an engineer early in their career who enjoys practical, hands-on work, troubleshooting, and getting deeply familiar with existing hardware. You will work closely with an experienced hardware engineer to understand product architecture, investigate issues, and implement hardware-related improvements. The work is varied, workshop-focused, and centres on problem solving rather than designing brand-new PCBs from scratch.

There is also potential to support a new product development programme being run from their Bristol team, depending on workload and your interests.

Role Overview
• Continuous improvement and maintenance of current ruggedised products
• Hands-on troubleshooting, fault investigation and root-cause analysis
• Instrumenting, testing and modifying existing hardware to resolve issues
• Engaging with firmware and software colleagues to support system-level behaviour
• Interacting with Raspberry Pi and STM32-based architectures
• Prototyping, soldering and workshop tasks when needed
• Understanding existing schematics, system layouts and hardware behaviours

Skills and Experience
• Degree in electronics or a closely related discipline, or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of Raspberry Pi and STM32-based hardware platforms
• Comfortable working hands-on with electronics: multimeters, oscilloscopes, soldering and instrumentation
• Able to engage with firmware and software at a basic level (no full coding expected)
• Strong troubleshooting mindset and a practical approach to problem solving
• Suitable for someone with roughly two to four years’ experience or a capable junior engineer
• Driving licence required due to site location

Package
• Salary between £45,000 and £50,000 depending on experience
• Exceptional performance-based bonus scheme, typically delivering between one and two months’ pay in recent years
• Onsite role with free parking

Apply today with an up-to-date CV and a member of the KO2 team will be in touch to progress your application.

Electronics Engineer

October 20, 2025/in Midlands Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Hardware Design – Nottingham – £45,000 to £52,000

KO2’s client, an innovative technology company based in Nottingham, specialises in the design and development of complex ultrasonic measurement systems used in non-destructive testing (NDT) applications. They are seeking a skilled electronics engineer with strong hardware design experience to contribute to the next generation of precision instrumentation.

The Role

This is a hands-on position for an electronics engineer who enjoys working across the full hardware development lifecycle — from initial concept and circuit design through to prototype validation and final production support. You’ll collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, including embedded software and mechanical engineers, to bring complex electronic systems to life.

The role is fully onsite in Nottingham, providing excellent access to labs, test equipment, and the wider engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

Design and prototype hardware for advanced ultrasonic measurement systems.
Produce schematic capture and manage multi-layer PCB layouts (2–8 layers, mixed-signal).
Integrate a variety of technologies including microcontrollers, microprocessors, RF circuitry, analog front ends, DC-DC and AC-DC power supplies, FPGAs, and sensors.
Validate and debug hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, and other lab tools.
Apply DFT, DFM, and DFP principles throughout the design and manufacturing process.
Review and improve electronic designs for performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
Provide technical support to customers and internal stakeholders when required.

Skills & Experience Required

Degree in Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
At least 4 years’ experience in an electronic hardware design role.
Strong understanding of mixed-signal design principles.
Proficiency in Altium Designer (or similar tools such as KiCAD, Eagle, Fusion, or PADS).
Experienced in test, validation, and debugging of PCB-based systems.
Familiar with IoT, instrumentation, or embedded electronics environments.
Solid understanding of EMC, DfC, DFT, DFM, and DFP best practices.

About You

The ideal electronics engineer will be detail-oriented, methodical, and enthusiastic about delivering reliable, high-performance designs. You’ll be confident working independently while collaborating closely with colleagues across disciplines. Strong communication and documentation skills are essential.

What’s on Offer

Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 (depending on experience)
Private health insurance for you and your immediate family
Pension and life assurance schemes
Supportive, technically driven environment
Opportunity to work on cutting-edge ultrasonic electronics with real-world industrial applications

If you’re an electronics engineer looking to make a tangible impact in advanced measurement technology, this is an exciting opportunity to join a company pushing the boundaries of precision hardware design.

Program Manager

September 29, 2025/in Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Position: Program Manager – Engineering Industry

Location: Chesterfield

Salary: Up to £50,000 + Benefits

Our client is now seeking a highly motivated Programme Manager to join their team and play a key role in delivering bespoke engineering solutions to their customers. The successful candidate will take customer requirements, organise and lead multidisciplinary teams, and oversee the design and manufacture of innovative, tailored solutions—delivered on time and within budget.

This is a dynamic role that involves close collaboration with clients, internal engineering and manufacturing teams, and subcontractors. You will have the opportunity to manage a wide variety of projects across our product portfolio, ensuring our reputation for high-quality, on-time delivery continues to set us apart.

Key Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end project delivery, from capturing requirements through to design, manufacture, and delivery.
Act as the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring their needs are understood and met.
Manage multidisciplinary teams, subcontractors, and resources to deliver projects on time, in full, and to cost.
Apply project management methodologies, life cycle principles, risk and opportunity management, and change control.
Monitor project performance against KPIs, maintaining a focus on quality, cost, and schedule.
Support and mentor team members, fostering a collaborative and results-driven environment.

Essential Criteria

Strong IT skills, including high competency in MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, and related tools.
Proven track record of leading projects in a commercial environment and engaging with stakeholders at all levels.
Demonstrable experience of delivering projects to deadline.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing reports and presentations.
Strong customer service ethos and proven ability to ensure customer satisfaction.
Experience mentoring or coaching team members.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance short- and long-term needs.
Ability to plan, prioritise, and organise resources effectively.
Experience of project risk and opportunity management, change control, and configuration control.
Understanding of KPIs, estimating, and costing techniques.
Self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision.
Adaptable, with the ability to apply skills in new contexts.
Eligible to meet Security Check (SC) clearance requirements.

Desirable Criteria

Working knowledge of one or more of the following areas:
Electrical/electronic design
Mechanical design
Software development

Why Apply

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the delivery of innovative, high-quality engineered solutions for a wide range of customers. You’ll be part of a supportive team that values collaboration, technical excellence, and customer success.

If you’re a driven, organised, and customer-focused Programme Manager with a passion for engineering, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today with an up-to-date CV.

Power Electronics Engineer

September 25, 2025/in Midlands Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Role: Power Electronics Engineer

Location: Rugby

Salary: Up to £70,000

*Candidate need be UK nationals to apply*Are you a power electronics engineer who thrives on solving complex engineering challenges? We’re looking for Power Electronics Engineers to join our clients growing team in the Rugby area – you will drive the design and delivery of cutting-edge LV & MV power electronic systems for mission-critical applications.

What you’ll be doing:

Develop and validate power electronics circuits (snubber, gating, thermal, protection)
Carry out fault studies & protection strategies at system level
Own schematics (EPLAN or equivalent), BOMs, FMEA, and change management
Verify & test MW-range systems – from thermal heat runs to EMC and overload conditions
Producing Schematics with EPLAN (or equivalent), for circuits.
Electrical & mechanical design of power, control, and cooling solutions for converters
Ensure designs meet safety, international standards, and class society rules
Liaise with customers, suppliers, and sub-contractors to deliver on time, on cost, on quality

What you’ll bring:

British citizenship with valid UK passport – eligible for SC security clearance
Degree (or equivalent) in Power Electronics or related field
Strong background in converter design, semiconductor devices, gating & snubber circuits
Enthusiasm for power electronics and industry experience in a similar power electronics design focussed role.

What will set you apart:

Hands-on with MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, PSpice, CFD, Mathcad
Experience within the defence, aerospace, automotive, grid or marine industries.
Excellent communication & leadership skills
Proven ability to multi-task across projects

Why join?
This is your chance to play a pivotal role in delivering world-class power solutions that keep the UK at the cutting edge of technology. You’ll join a collaborative, innovative team with opportunities for professional growth, international exposure, and the satisfaction of solving engineering challenges that truly matter.