Head of Research & Development

R&D’s purpose within Sondrel is to build differentiation and value through the creation and enhancement of Sondrel’s Intellectual Property (IP). IP includes functional blocks, tools, flows, platforms and the associated training and marketing material and technical documentation. What we need from you is a blend of wide technical know-how, driven ownership and project execution, and above all an excellent ability to communicate and foster collaboration with everyone involved – engineers implementing the work, stakeholders receiving it, and leadership team sponsoring.

What you will be doing

• You will be assisting in the development of R&D project goals, taking direction from product marketing and technical specialists.
• You will drive execution of R&D initiatives
• You will make best use of guaranteed engineers within R&D team and opportunistic use of available engineers from main engineering execution teams.
• You will keep up communication with stakeholders on progress and outcomes

Work with internal customers (Technical Competence Organisation and Product Marketing) to clarify their requirements and synthesise R&D initiative proposals.

• Objectives
• Deliverables
• Benefits
• Cost
• Effort
• Tools, licenses, equipment, etc
• Risks
• Timeline

Project manage the implementation of R&D Initiatives

• Keep to time and budget constraints
• Create and maintain detailed plans
• Report progress
• Escalate issues
• Keep stakeholders informed
• Use PM tools and processes consistent and compatible with those of PMO (dotted line to PMO)
• Review outcomes of R&D initiatives and present closing reports
• Line management of R&D team
• Recruitment, development, assessment, feedback
• Per Sondrel engineering and HR processes

What you will bring

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in a related subject, or Masters /PhD in a related subject.
• Typically, 5 years’ experience in the semiconductor industry
• Proven capability as a problem solver with an ability to work individually or as part of a team.
• Able to evaluate issues and define solutions and provides advice and guidance to less experienced team members.
• Possesses a broad cross disciplinary knowledge but with the ability to apply advanced knowledge of a single sub-function OR knowledge of multiple sub-functions.
• Able to lead and contribute to technical team and departmental discussions.
• Have enough understanding of Architecture, Front-End Design, Verification, DFT, Physical Design, packaging and Software
• Communication skills to effectively manage and engage direct reports ensuring the performance is in line with their job role.

Desirable

• Project management qualification.
• MBA
• Chartered Engineer
• Management qualification

Who you are

• Excellent leadership, communication and negotiation skills and the ability to manage successfully.
• Self-organisation and ability to respond to changing priorities quickly with excellent time management skills.
• A team player with the ability to guide and mentor.
• Ability to work under pressure with solid organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative with excellent attention to detail.

Where you will work

We have offices in both Theale and Bristol. Our Headquarters is based in Theale where you will be located around plenty of country pubs in the area, golf courses, fishing lakes, good cycle and walking routes. Our Bristol office is modern, open plan complex located by the intersection of the M4 and M5.

Why Sondrel

At Sondrel we are encouraged to think differently, take on innovate and challenging projects and we’re trusted to make independent decisions to progress our own careers in the way that we want. We pride ourselves on being specialists in what we do, collaborative in our approach and we’re hugely passionate about driving the technology for SoC design.

We have teams across the globe which means there is opportunity for both domestic and international travel and the chance to network with some of the most highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers in the industry. Sondrel allows you to enjoy your work by having an autonomous environment built on trust, dependability and integrity as well as having a hybrid work environment catered to individual needs.

As we continue to grow, we are looking for bright individuals who are proactive in what they do, enjoy a challenge and have a desire for continuous learning experiences because, at Sondrel, no two days are ever the same.

What you get

• Competitive salary
• Company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual company bonus
• 25 days paid annual holiday + bank holidays
• Hybrid, flexible work arrangements
• Opportunity to travel both domestically and internationally

Inclusion

Sondrel are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We recruit people from varied backgrounds because it makes our team stronger, and we provide an inclusive workplace because growing in partnership is what makes our team great. We do our best to provide fair opportunities to everyone and we want to hear what you need to grow with us.

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