Product Architect

Rakon is a global high-technology company: a New Zealand-grown success story and a world leader in its field. We design and manufacture advanced frequency control and timing solutions for telecommunications, global positioning and space applications. To complement our growing product R&D team, we are looking for a Product Architect with the skills and enthusiasm to significantly enhance Rakon’s competitive position. 

About this job  

As a Product Architect, you will drive innovation by leading the high-level product definition through trial production, combining technical expertise with commercial acumen to develop cutting-edge solutions that align with market needs and company strategy. 

What You’ll Do: 

• Analyse and refine requirements from a business and technical perspective.

• Define and optimise the product architecture to create a high-level design for the product.

• Work with other teams such as ASIC, crystal, process and manufacturing to bring together all the product’s building blocks.

• Guide the team through component selection, ensuring suitability and manufacturability.

• Foster a culture for innovation and quality within the team.

• Drive product development by refining market, customer, and product requirements into key features, while balancing technology, business strategy, and market demands to deliver innovative solutions

• Plan tests to validate features, execute and monitor changes.

• Support the development of engineers through technical mentorship.

Key Competencies: 

• Electronics or Mechatronics Engineering or similar technical qualification.

• 8+ years of experience in hardware R&D.

• 3+ years of experience as a leader within R&D.

• Proven track record of creating and articulating architectural and technical visions for the product.

• Robust understanding of the engineering and design development process.

• Experience in using high-level simulation tools such as Matlab.

• Ability to use CAD (or equivalent) to communicate product concepts.

• Strong Commercial acumen to keep the designs on track.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desired experience: 

• Domain expertise in oscillator design across Ultra stable TCXOs and high performance OCXOs.

• Knowledge of LEAN and Continuous Improvement methodologies.

• Experience with product lifecycle management tools.

• Domain expertise in high performance crystal designs.

• Prior experience in working with multidisciplinary teams, including ASIC.

• Track record of building highly innovative R&D teams.

What we offer: 

• Excellent work-life balance, hybrid working.

• 20 days of annual leave.

• Competitive salary and bonus.

• Visa sponsorship is provided to competent candidates from overseas.

• Opportunity to work with a global team.

At Rakon, we value task-focused problem solvers and team players who continuously seek to improve our products and business and develop themselves. The guiding principles of the Rakon business are Passion, Respect, Courage, Perseverance, and Integrity. They guide us in the way we operate and the decisions that we make. People from 49 countries work at Rakon, and we are an LGBTQ-friendly company that offers equal opportunity regardless of gender and ethnicity.