Role: Senior Research & Development Technical Lead
(Embedded Systems, IoT & Robotics)
Work location: Abu Dhabi
About the Role
We are seeking a Senior Research & Development Technical Lead to drive innovation, lead complex embedded and hardware-based product development, and guide cross-functional teams across the full R&D lifecycle. This role plays a critical part in defining product architecture, mentoring engineers, and delivering reliable, scalable, and manufacturable solutions for intelligent sensing, IoT, robotics, and smart infrastructure applications.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the embedded and hardware product lifecycle from early feasibility, architecture, and design through production launch and sustainment.
- Lead product architecture, system design, and technical specifications across hardware, firmware, power, connectivity, and mechanical domains.
- Define system requirements, interfaces, and integration strategies across embedded platforms and distributed systems.
- Drive embedded platform strategy, including MCU/SoC selection, RTOS vs. Linux decisions, and firmware architecture.
- Perform hands-on firmware development in C/C++, supporting hardware bring-up, board-level debugging, and system integration.
- Conduct technology research, feasibility studies, and proof-of-concepts to evaluate new platforms and approaches.
- Oversee technical execution, perform design and code reviews, and proactively manage technical risks.
- Plan and execute verification and validation activities across EVT, DVT, and PVT, including root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
- Collaborate closely with R&D, Product Management, Design, QA, Manufacturing, and external suppliers to ensure alignment with product strategy and delivery goals.
- Act as a technical liaison between engineering, product, and manufacturing teams to ensure smooth transitions from development to production.
- Mentor and guide engineering teams, establish engineering standards, and promote best practices.
- In early R&D phases, apply Agile methodologies (Scrum/Kanban) for sprint planning, backlog prioritization, and rapid iteration.
- Maintain clear and comprehensive technical documentation, including system architecture, requirements, test plans, and production support materials.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, Embedded Systems, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience in R&D, embedded systems, and hardware-based product development with demonstrated technical leadership.
- Strong expertise in embedded C/C++, low-level system design, firmware architecture, and system integration.
- Experience delivering solutions across IoT, robotics, embedded systems, smart city infrastructure, and law enforcement applications, including use of MQTT, ROS/ROS2, and distributed edge architectures.
- Hands-on experience with detectors, Smart Micro technologies, and real-world sensing or monitoring systems.
- Proficiency with wired and wireless communication technologies and field protocols such as RS232, Modbus, LoRa, ZigBee, and CAN-Bus.
- Demonstrated success in hardware bring-up, system debugging, verification, validation, and supporting production releases.
- Strong technical leadership, mentoring capability, and cross-functional communication skills.
- Native Arabic speaker (required).
