Lead Systems Engineer

As the technical leader of Prizm Optics’ product development efforts, the Lead Systems Engineer will drive system architecture, oversee design integration, and ensure readiness for manufacturing. This role requires a hands-on approach to leadership, with responsibility for building internal capabilities, managing external resources, and ensuring that products meet performance, quality, and scalability goals. Additionally, it is expected of the incumbent to provide hands-on engineering into one of the core engineering disciplines Electrical, Mechanical or Software.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead and orchestrate all design disciplines toward cohesive product development. As the design team is being built, take ownership of establishing workflows, standards, and team structure.
- System Design & Architecture: Own the overall system architecture and design strategy for embedded products, ensuring integration across all technical domains.
- External Engineering Oversight: Manage and guide external engineering partners, particularly in hardware development, ensuring alignment with internal design goals and product requirements.
- Design for Manufacture: Ensure that all design activities consider manufacturability from the outset. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to define and implement design-for-manufacture principles and processes.
- Manufacturing Setup: Lead the setup of manufacturing capabilities—whether internal or outsourced, including vendor selection, process definition, and readiness planning.
- Embedded Software & Mechanical Integration: Oversee the integration of embedded software and mechanical systems, ensuring performance, reliability, and maintainability.
- Prototyping & Validation: Drive prototyping, testing, and validation across disciplines. Use iterative feedback to refine designs and ensure readiness for production.
- Production Readiness: Coordinate the transition from prototype to production, ensuring all technical and operational aspects are addressed.
- Mentorship & Team Development: Provide technical leadership and mentorship, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture as the team grows.
- Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve development processes to enhance efficiency, scalability, and product quality.

**Required Qualifications and Experience**:

- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
5+ years of experience in systems engineering, with an emphasis on embedded systems and product development.
- 5+ Years of experience as an Electrical, Mechanical, or Software engineer designing embedded devices.
- Experience leading product development efforts from concept through production.
- Experience guiding hardware design
- Solid understanding of systems engineering principles, including system architecture, requirement definition, and validation processes.
- Experience in testing, debugging, and validating hardware systems.
- Strong problem-solving abilities and hands-on approach to addressing design and development challenges.
- Ability to lead and manage cross-functional teams, as well as work independently when needed.

**Preferred Skills**:

- Experience in hardware design, including hands-on experience with schematics, PCB design, and integration.
- Strong embedded software knowledge, particularly in C/C++ or related languages, with a focus on hardware-software interaction.
- Experience in a startup or small team environment.
- Experience with optical sensors and lenses
- Familiarity with microcontroller architectures and real-time operating systems.
- Knowledge of wireless communication protocols and IoT platforms.
- Experience with regulatory compliance (CE, FCC) and preparing products for certification.