VP Engineering Permanent

Company Background

Forefront RF was founded with a clear vision: to create a respected RF component business that makes multi-band smartphones, wearables and IoT devices simpler to design and more globally accessible. We’re based in Cambridge, UK, one of the most exciting, innovative and picturesque cities in the world. It’s at the heart of technology innovation in the UK where world-class businesses, R&D centres and universities come together to drive ground-breaking discoveries forward.

The company is founded on collaboration inside and out, so we’re building a team that shares a determination to succeed together. For us, success means solving our customer’s problems by combining our talents to share in the ultimate rewards. We embrace diversity, because solving hard problems needs a broad perspective.

Everyone who joins the company now will have a profound influence on our culture as we shape it together. Recognising this, we offer a competitive salary and attractive options package so that when we succeed, the whole team benefits. We’re serious about building a great technology company at Forefront RF, and we’re going to have fun doing it.

So, if you’re ready to push your boundaries to resist an ordinary working life, and build better, then come and join us!

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join Forefront RF at an early stage and help to build and shape the engineering function as it grows over the coming months. The engineering team are responsible for designing Forefront RF’s core products, which comprise of our Adaptive Passive Cancellation (APC) RF hardware, and software algorithms which control the signal cancellation.

The VP Engineering will be responsible for the day-to-day line management of the team, providing both technical and personal leadership and support to the rest of the team. As a member of the executive team, the VP Engineering will oversee product development, and report to the CEO. The VP Engineering will also be responsible for running and resourcing the product development programme to ensure that key milestones set and are met.

Main Responsibilities

The VP Engineering will be responsible for all aspects of engineering with Forefront RF, including product development, programme management, project planning and leading the engineering team. The VP Engineering will be expected to work closely with other members of the Executive team (especially the CTO), and liaise with other departments including Manufacturing, Marketing, and across the company in general. Specific responsibilities of the VP Engineering will include:

• Creating the product development programme and agreeing it with the CTO
• Working with Marketing to translate customer requirements into product specifications
• Leading the product development from product specification through to delivered product
• Recruitment of engineering staff (in conjunction with the CTO)
• Program management and project planning
• Creation of a professional product development culture that rewards innovation, energy and collaboration. This will include specifying and overseeing all components of the product development process including documentation standards, design review, version control and archiving
• Budgeting and cost management
• Setting up and managing key design and manufacturing partnerships from selection, through quote & tape out to delivery of assembled parts and PCBs

To be successful in this role, we are looking for someone who will:

• Be a team player with the ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders including directors, technical staff, customers, and suppliers
• Be process oriented – an ability to define appropriate processes and use them to reduce avoidable errors, especially in communication with suppliers
• Have good judgement – an ability to understand and assess competing product development risk factors and to decide on the most appropriate course of action
• Have strong organizational and leadership skills
• Be knowledgeable about industry trends, tools and best practices
• Have a broad based, manufacturing orientated, technical understanding