Permanent Archives | KO2 Recruitment

Embedded Software Engineer

Embedded Engineer – New Product Development

Salary: Up to £60,000
Office: York

Our client is a multinational business that designs and develops specialist electronic devices and systems. Their products are used around the world across a wide range of industries. They’re now growing their R&D hub in the York area and are building a new team dedicated to new product development.

This is a rare chance to join a team at the very start of its journey. With an extensive product roadmap ahead, you’ll help shape not just the products themselves, but how they’re developed. You’ll bring modern technology, tools and development processes into a business that’s committed to investing in innovation.

The role

As an Embedded Engineer, you’ll take ownership of the software side of new devices across the full design lifecycle, from initial concept to finished product. Your work will include:

Designing, developing and testing embedded software for new measurement devices
Writing efficient, reliable code in Embedded C, often in bare-metal environments
Working with ARM, NXP and Atmel microprocessors
Implementing and supporting communication protocols such as RS232 and RS485
Collaborating closely with hardware engineers and the wider R&D team to bring products from concept to completion
Contributing ideas on tools, processes and technology choices as the new team takes shape
Supporting testing, debugging and validation through each stage of development

What you’ll need

Proven industry experience in an embedded design role
Strong Embedded C programming skills
Experience of bare-metal development
Hands-on experience with ARM, NXP or Atmel microprocessors
A working knowledge of RS232 and RS485 protocols

Desirable, but not essential

FPGA development and VHDL
Experience integrating Wi-Fi or Bluetooth modules
High-speed design experience

Why join?

Make a real impact. You’ll join a new team where your ideas will directly influence how products are built.
Work across the full lifecycle. You’ll see your work go from concept to completion.
Modern working environment. The business is investing in new offices and up-to-date development tools.
Long-term opportunity. You’ll be part of an expanding global business with a busy product roadmap.
Competitive package. A strong salary plus pension and bonus.

How to apply

Apply today with an up-to-date CV, and a member of the KO2 team will be in touch to discuss the role in more detail.

Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Senior Embedded Software Engineer (Zephyr RTOS)

Cambridge | Hybrid Work from Home

£80,000 to £85,000

Visa Sponsorship | Relocation Package

If Zephyr RTOS is your bread and butter, and I mean properly your bread and butter rather than something you once dabbled with on a dev kit over a wet weekend, then I would very much like to hear from you.

A client of KO2’s, a genuinely expanding engineering business, is looking to bring a Senior Embedded Software Engineer into its Cambridge software team. In an economic climate where a fair few companies are battening down the hatches, this lot are firmly in the minority: they are investing, recruiting and building, and the sector they operate in is one of the few that is demonstrably on the up. That is not marketing puff on my part; it is simply the reality of where they sit.

Zephyr: the non negotiable bit
Let me be unequivocal, because there is no point dressing it up: commercial Zephyr experience is the sine qua non of this role. Not FreeRTOS with a passing curiosity about Zephyr, not ‘I’ve read the documentation’, but genuine hands on experience architecting, developing and maintaining production firmware on Zephyr. You will be comfortable with devicetree, Kconfig, the driver model, west and the general philosophy of how Zephyr wants a system put together. If you have contributed upstream, or wrestled a Zephyr port onto awkward custom silicon and won, so much the better.

What you’ll be getting stuck into

Architecting and developing embedded firmware on Zephyr RTOS, with some bare metal work alongside it
Bringing up prototype boards from first power, armed with a debugger, a scope and a logic analyser
Designing and maintaining board to board and digital interfaces: CAN, SPI, I²C, UART and RS422
Building networked services and interfaces including REST APIs, SNMP agents and OpenAPI specifications
Developing and debugging TCP and UDP communication layers, and getting into the weeds on protocol performance
Secure communications: authentication, encryption, secure firmware update and system hardening
Embedded Linux work on Yocto based platforms, including services, daemons, device drivers and middleware
Leading root cause analysis when things go awry, and writing requirements, interface specs and documentation that people will actually read
Working shoulder to shoulder with hardware and systems engineers to make sure data and control interfaces are rock solid

What you’ll bring

Substantial commercial experience of low level embedded software and firmware
Strong, demonstrable Zephyr RTOS experience (I cannot overstate this one)
Solid C and C++, with a knack for squeezing performance out of resource constrained hardware
Confidence reading schematics and datasheets
Proven board bring up and hardware to software integration experience
Practical debugging chops with scopes, logic analysers and software debug tools
The ability to explain what you’ve done, clearly, both on paper and in person

The non essentials are: ARM Cortex M and Cortex A (STM32 in particular), Yocto or similar Linux build systems, Linux kernel internals, bootloaders and systemd, TLS, SSH, IPSec and HTTPS, secure boot, Python, MISRA C or C++, CI/CD and automated test, Docker or Kubernetes, and the steady hand needed to tack a fly lead onto a board for probing.

The package, and why it’s worth more than the headline figure
The money: £80,000 to £85,000 basic, which sits firmly at the upper end of what the market pays for this calibre of engineer.
Your time: a 37.5 hour week, hybrid working, and 25 days’ annual leave on top of bank holidays, with the option to buy five more if you fancy a longer summer.
Your future: a pension with the employer putting in as much as 8%, a share save scheme so you can own a slice of the business you’re helping to grow, and a proper commitment to training and development.

Looking after you: life assurance and income protection, so you and yours are covered should the worst happen.
The extras: an electric vehicle scheme, cycle to work, and a paid volunteering day each year.
Getting you here: visa sponsorship is available for the right person, and there is a relocation package to take the sting out of the move.Interested?
If you’ve read this far and found yourself nodding along, send your CV to KO2 or ring us for a confidential chat on 01423 876356. We’ll give you the full picture.

Senior Electronics Engineer

October 19, 2026/in North East Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Senior Electronics Engineer
County Durham | Hybrid | £75,000 to £85,000 | Relocation Package

If you’re the kind of electronics engineer who’d sooner start from a blank schematic and a stack of datasheets than bolt together somebody else’s modules, I’ve a role here that ought to pique your interest.

A client of KO2’s, a thriving and steadily expanding engineering business in County Durham, is looking to add a Senior Electronics Engineer to its design team. At a time when a good many companies are keeping their heads down and their chequebooks firmly shut, this one is doing quite the opposite: investing, growing headcount and taking on new work. They operate in one of the relatively few sectors currently enjoying real, sustained growth, and frankly that’s a rarer commodity than it ought to be.

The heart of the matter

What this role really hinges upon is genuine, component level circuit design. Analogue, digital and mixed signal, done properly from first principles. You’ll have designed the power supplies, the amplifiers, the filtering and the signal conditioning yourself, picked every part, simulated it, and seen it through to a board that works. If you’re the person others come to when a circuit is misbehaving and nobody can work out why, you’ll fit in reet well.

A flavour of the work

You’ll own designs from the initial concept all the way through to volume production, which in practice means:

Specifying, simulating and designing analogue, digital and mixed signal circuits at component level
Building microprocessor based systems around ADCs, DACs and supporting logic
Capturing schematics and setting out PCB requirements, from materials to layer stack
Bringing designs up on the bench and integrating them at system level, working with interfaces such as USB, Ethernet, PCIe, CAN, SPI and I²C
Getting to the bottom of hardware and communications faults, methodically and without fuss
Carrying out thermal, tolerance and reliability analysis, MTBF included, so designs stand the test of time
Writing test specifications and reports, and taking part in (and leading) design reviews
Working hand in glove with software and firmware colleagues, supporting product introduction, and keeping a beady eye on obsolescence before it bites

What you’ll need

A degree in Electronic Engineering or a closely related field, or the equivalent hard won experience
A strong track record of component level analogue and digital design
Schematic capture and PCB design tool experience (Altium would be champion, but it’s not a deal breaker)
A sound understanding of EMC and EMI, both in design and in test
Real comfort in the lab with oscilloscopes, logic analysers and the usual array of test kit

Experience of high volume manufacture and surface mount processes would be a definite plus.

Why it’s worth your while

Pay: £75,000 to £85,000, which puts it comfortably in the upper echelons for electronics design in the North East.

Balance: hybrid working on a 37.5 hour week, with 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays and the option to purchase additional leave.

Security: a generous employer pension contribution, life cover and income protection.

A stake in it: a share scheme, so you benefit directly from the growth you’re helping to drive.

Perks: an electric car scheme, cycle to work, paid time off to volunteer, and a real commitment to your ongoing development.

Moving: relocation support is on hand if you’re coming from further afield.

Embedded Software Engineer

October 16, 2026/in Yorkshire and the Humber Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Embedded Software Engineer
Location: Bradford (Hybrid Working from Home)
Salary: Up to £50,000 + Benefits

The Role
Our client, an innovative, award winning technology business, is looking for an Embedded Software Engineer to join their team in Bradford. You’ll lead the development of embedded systems, designing and implementing complex embedded software for systems, including real-time control and IoT connectivity.

The ideal candidate will live within commuting distance of Bradford and have at least 3 years’ experience developing embedded software for production systems. You’ll be strong in embedded C/C++, ideally comfortable with both RTOS and bare-metal development, and confident on ARM Cortex processors.

As well as hands-on development, you’ll help shape the technical direction across several product lines, review code, improve performance and mentor other engineers. You’ll work closely with hardware colleagues in an agile environment, taking products from concept through to production-ready systems in the field.

Skills & Experience Required

Degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering or a related STEM subject
3+ years developing embedded software for production-ready systems
Expert C/C++ for embedded systems, – RTOS (FreeRTOS ideally)
ARM Cortex-M/A processors, ideally STM32
Protocols including I2C, SPI, UART, Modbus, Ethernet and AT modem
Git and CI/CD pipelines for embedded development
Debugging with JTAG, oscilloscopes and logic analysers

Desirable Skills & Experience

Energy management, control systems, smart grid or power electronics
Embedded Linux and kernel customisation
Cellular and wireless IoT protocols (LTE, CAT-M1, NB-IoT)
Cybersecurity for embedded systems

What’s on offer

Up to £50,000 plus benefits
Hybrid working
The chance to shape technical direction across several product lines
Working on technology that supports the energy transition

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

Engineering Manager

October 13, 2026/in Yorkshire and the Humber Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Engineering Manager

Hardware, Firmware & Mechanical Engineering

Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire

Salary: £50,000 – £70,000 + benefits and a 4 day week

KO2 is working exclusively with a well-established and growing electronics manufacturer based in Halifax to appoint an experienced Engineering Manager. Our client designs and manufactures high-reliability electronic products for a demanding, high-volume market, and is investing in its engineering leadership team to support the next phase of growth.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a technically credible manager who can lead a multi-disciplinary engineering team — hardware, firmware, mechanical and test — through the full product development lifecycle, from concept to volume manufacture.

The Role

Reporting to the Engineering Director, you will take ownership of a multi-function engineering team, balancing day-to-day delivery with longer-term technology and product roadmap planning. You’ll be a key link between engineering, operations and the wider business, ensuring the team is resourced, motivated and set up to deliver reliably.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of hardware, firmware, mechanical and test engineers, including recruitment, coaching and performance management
Own resource planning and project timelines across multiple concurrent development programmes
Develop and maintain technology and product roadmaps in line with business strategy
Work closely with manufacturing and operations to ensure a smooth transition from engineering into volume production
Manage regulatory compliance activity for new and existing products, including relationships with external test houses
Own the engineering budget, aligning team size, tooling and spend with the product roadmap
Review, introduce and improve engineering processes, tools and cross-team interfaces
Report progress, risks and issues to senior stakeholders, and support wider business planning
Manage relationships with external design partners, ODM/JDM partners and suppliers as required

About You

You’ll likely have most of the following:

Proven experience leading and developing technical engineering teams within an electronics or high-volume manufacturing environment
A track record of managing multiple concurrent development projects, ideally across hardware, firmware and mechanical disciplines
Strong understanding of design for manufacture in a high-volume electronics business
Experience managing budgets, resource plans and project timelines, with good working knowledge of tools such as MS Project
Experience working with external design, ODM/JDM or manufacturing partners
Confident communicator, comfortable influencing and negotiating with stakeholders at all levels
A background in electronic, electrical or mechanical engineering (degree or equivalent experience)
Experience of organisational change, process improvement or Six Sigma-style methodologies is an advantage

What’s on Offer

Salary of £50,000 – £70,000, dependent on experience
A senior, high-visibility leadership role with genuine influence over technology strategy
The opportunity to shape and grow a talented engineering team
Competitive benefits package, including pension, bonus scheme and private healthcare
Based on-site in Halifax, with a collaborative, engineering-led culture

How to Apply

This role is being handled exclusively by KO2 on behalf of our client. For a confidential discussion about the role, please apply with your CV or contact the KO2 team directly.

Senior Software Engineer

October 6, 2026/in South Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Senior Software Engineer – Modern C++ / Linux

Location: Oxford (hybrid, 3 days a week on site)
Salary: Up to £75,000 plus benefits

KO2’s client is a long-established UK manufacturer of advanced scientific instruments. Universities, research centres and industry around the world use them to study materials at the nanoscale.

Their systems support research in quantum computing, dark matter and new materials, so your software will be used in cutting-edge science. The business is growing, has a stable future, and still designs and manufactures everything in the UK.

The role

This is a new role created to grow the software team. As Senior Software Engineer, you’ll be a technical leader in an established backend team. You’ll help the Software Manager guide the team and develop less experienced engineers.

You’ll be the main technical authority for the backend software that controls the company’s instruments. It’s a Modern C++ (C++17) application running on a Debian Linux industrial PC that acts as a local edge server. It coordinates communication with pumps, valves, pressure gauges, temperature sensors and other devices, so the system reaches the state the user has asked for.

Key responsibilities

Design, develop and maintain backend software in Modern C++ on Linux, within an Agile team
Own and develop the APIs used by the web GUI and by customer scripts
Write automated tests and unit tests in Python
Take technical responsibility for solutions on specific projects, and run and take part in design reviews
Contribute to architectural design and act as the team’s go-to expert in your areas of strength
Lead, mentor and develop less experienced software engineers
Work with scientists, engineers and product managers to turn requirements into tested software
Support existing and new products, including technical support during installation and operation of customer systems
Keep code repositories and documentation up to date so that others can maintain and extend the software

Essential skills and experience

Strong commercial experience of Modern C++ on Linux. C++14 or newer required
Experience of server-client architecture and backend development
Python skills, particularly for automated testing
Knowledge of Ethernet, TCP/IP and other communication protocols
At least 5 years of commercial software development experience, with the technical depth to make high-level design decisions
Excellent communication skills, including leading technical discussions and working with other departments
A degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics or a scientific subject

Desirable skills

Experience of publish-subscribe messaging, ideally WAMP
Industrial or instrumentation protocols such as Modbus, CAN or RS232, and interfacing with devices such as pumps, sensors and actuators
Developing application-level device drivers for Linux
Cloud infrastructure (Azure or AWS) and containerisation

How to apply

To find out more, contact Laurence Powell or Andrew Knight at KO2 Engineering & Technical Recruitment

Electronic Technician

October 2, 2026/in North West Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Senior Electronics Technician

Location: Oldham
Salary: Up to £55,000 + Benefits

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Electronics Technician to join our clients engineering team in Oldham. You’ll diagnose, repair and overhaul a wide range of electronic PCBs and assemblies to component level, making sure every repair meets high standards of quality and traceability.

Each unit that comes in is different, so the work is varied and technically demanding. You’ll work closely with the wider engineering and operations teams, and help train and mentor new and junior engineers.

Key responsibilities

Diagnose and repair faults on electronic PCBs and assemblies to component level, including analogue, digital, RF and high-voltage circuits
Find faults using test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic probes, logic analysers, and network and spectrum analysers
Replace and rework surface mount and through-hole components to IPC-A-610 standard
Commission repaired and new PCBAs
Carry out in-circuit and boundary-scan testing using tools such as XJTAG
Design and build in-house test equipment and fixtures to improve diagnostic capability
Make sure repairs meet company and customer standards for quality and traceability
Carry out functional, environmental and acceptance testing on completed repairs
Work with the wider engineering and operations teams

Technical skills profile

Proven experience of fault-finding and repair to component level
Strong soldering and rework skills, including SMD, to IPC-A-610 standard
Ability to read circuit diagrams, schematics, datasheets and technical documentation
Confident with oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic probes and analysers, and RF test equipment
Experience with boundary-scan and in-circuit testing (XJTAG or similar)
Microcontroller programming (e.g. Atmel or Arduino), and FPGA programming with a working knowledge of Verilog
Schematic capture and PCB layout in KiCad or similar
Circuit simulation in LTspice or similar
Serial communications (RS232 and RS485) for interfacing and diagnostics
Environmental testing, including temperature, humidity, vibration and EMI

What They offer

Salary of up to £55,000
24 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
Pension scheme
Flexible working, including compressed hours so you can take one Friday a month off as time in lieu
A wide variety of challenging and interesting repairs
Career development in a growing company

How to apply

Send your up-to-date CV and a short cover letter outlining your repair and fault-finding experience today and a member of the KO2 team will be in touch.

Electronics Engineer

October 1, 2026/in Yorkshire and the Humber Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Electronic Engineer

Location: York (Hybrid Working)

Salary: Up to £60,000 + Benefits

The Role

A new position has been created for an Electronic Engineer to join our client’s growing engineering team in the York area, as they continue to design and develop industry-leading products used around the globe.

Our client designs a range of electronic instrumentation and measurement devices, and is currently embarking on the design of their next generation of products. Working as part of a small team, the successful engineer can expect a varied role from day to day, with the chance to contribute across the full design life cycle and have real input into both electronics and software design.

The ideal candidate will live within a commutable distance of York, and be able to demonstrate experience in a similar role, with strong analogue and digital circuit design skills, PCB layout experience, and competence coding in Embedded C. You’ll be degree qualified, and any experience with ARM Cortex processors, Matlab or LTSpice will make your application stand out.

This role will suit an electronic engineer who enjoys being involved across the full design life cycle, is comfortable with a mix of design tasks, and enjoys working in a small team while taking ownership of individual tasks and managing their own time.

Skills & Experience Required

Analogue and digital circuit design
PCB design and layout
Embedded C programming
RS232, RS485, SPI, UART, I2C etc.
Degree qualified in an engineering subject

Desirable Skills & Experience

Electronic test equipment
Matlab
Circuit simulation, ideally LTSpice
ARM Cortex processors

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

Electronic Technician

October 1, 2026/in Scotland Permanent /by Chris Oddy

Electronic Technician

Location: Falkirk
Salary: £30,000 – £40,000 DOE

About the role

Do you like working out what’s wrong with a circuit and fixing it? We’re looking for an Electronic Technician to join our clients team in Falkirk. You’ll diagnose and repair VF drives, HMIs and circuit boards from a wide range of industries.

Each job is different and needs real problem-solving. You’ll use your electronics knowledge and soldering skills to deliver high-quality repairs that keep our customers’ operations running.

What you’ll be doing

Diagnosing faults on circuit boards and electronic systems using schematics and component datasheets
Carrying out detailed repairs: testing and replacing components, re-soldering connections and bringing equipment back into service
Using soldering irons, hot air rework stations, multimeters, oscilloscopes and other test equipment to make precise repairs and adjustments
Carrying out routine maintenance to prevent future failures and make equipment last longer
Recording repair procedures, replaced components and work carried out, for quality control and future reference

What we’re looking for

Strong electronics knowledge, with the ability to read and interpret schematics and datasheets
Hands-on repair skills down to surface mount (SMD) level
Experience using datasheets to fault-find on complex circuits
Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies – IPC J-STD-001
The ability to work efficiently while following safety standards and quality procedures
A motivated, methodical approach and an eye for detail

Why join?

Competitive salary of £30,000 – £40,000, depending on experience
Varied, hands-on work across many types of equipment and industries
A supportive team that’s focused on doing excellent repair work
The chance to build your skills in a fast-paced technical environment

How to apply

If you enjoy fault-finding and take pride in precise, quality work, we’d like to hear from you. Send us your CV and a short note about your electronics repair experience.

Mechanical Design Engineer

September 18, 2026/in Remote Working, Yorkshire and the Humber Permanent /by Chris Oddy

£35,000 to £40,000 (Permanent, Full Time)

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction in designing something that thousands of people will interact with, night after night, in some of the liveliest and most visually spectacular environments going. KO2 is working exclusively with a client who sits right at the sharp end of that world: a business with genuine engineering pedigree, half a century of it in fact, that designs and builds the complex electromechanical hardware behind large scale digital and broadcast entertainment systems. Think precision, think polish, think products that have to work flawlessly under proper scrutiny, and you’re somewhere near the mark.

They’re now after a Mechanical Design Engineer to join a well established Hardware Development team based at their York site, working alongside electronics and software colleagues on products that go from a rough sketch on a whiteboard right through to full production.

What you’ll be getting stuck into

Generating mechanical designs that are genuinely inventive but also, crucially, buildable, working closely within a multidisciplinary team
Carrying products through the full development journey, from early concept and proof of principle work through detailed design and on into manufacture
Producing proper manufacturing packs: component drawings, assembly drawings and work instructions, using SolidWorks alongside the usual Microsoft Office tools
Getting involved in design reviews and testing, making sure everything meets the standard the department expects
Lending a hand to colleagues across product development and manufacturing when it’s needed
Reviewing and improving existing products, not just chasing new ones
Working to project deadlines, and mucking in with whatever else the business reasonably needs from you

What you’ll need to bring

Several years’ hands on experience designing products in SolidWorks, ideally three years or more
A solid working knowledge of mechanical manufacturing processes and what each is actually capable of, including sheet metal work (cut and bent), hard and soft tooled mouldings, bearings and drives, electromechanical interfaces, machined and turned components, and the sensible use of off the shelf parts
Experience working directly with suppliers to properly understand what their processes can and can’t do
A knack for picking up legacy designs quickly and finding ways to genuinely improve them
Practical workshop experience, comfortable making and modifying parts to build prototypes and prove out a design
A real enthusiasm for technology and design, and an appetite for learning
The ability to talk engineering sense to technical and non technical people alike
Strong organisational skills and the discipline to hit agreed completion dates
A full driving licence, and the right to work in the UK

What’s in it for you

Beyond the salary, there’s a proper pension scheme, life insurance, a cycle to work scheme, a health and wellbeing programme, free on site parking, and regular company events. There’s also genuine scope for progression here for anyone with the work ethic and leadership qualities to make the most of it, this isn’t a role where you’ll be static for years on end.

You’ll be based primarily at the York site, with occasional travel down to a satellite site in the Staffordshire area, so it suits someone who doesn’t mind the odd day out of the office but wants a proper home base too.

If that sounds like your sort of engineering challenge, get in touch with KO2 and we’ll talk you through it properly.