Computer Hardware Engineers

Software & Systems Engineering

Level 4445 of 1200 points

Job description

Computer Hardware Engineers

Job purpose

To research, design, develop and test computer and computer-related equipment — processors, support logic, custom integrated circuits and peripherals — and to verify that it meets its specification, so that hardware taken into manufacture and installation performs to the requirements set for it.

Skills

Knowledge of computers and electronics — circuit boards, processors, chips and the interaction of hardware with software — with engineering and technology, applied mathematics and physics, and design technique for precision technical plans, drawings and models. Extends to power supply specification and telecommunications. A bachelor's degree is the norm, with a substantial minority holding a master's and a few a doctorate, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Confers with engineering staff on the interface between hardware and software and on the performance requirements of the overall system; provides technical support to designers, marketing and sales departments and suppliers throughout development; and trains system designers and users. Directs technicians and engineering designers as required, and analyses user needs in order to recommend appropriate hardware.
Design problems with no single correct answer: a configuration must reconcile performance expectations, cost constraints, reporting formats, security restrictions and power supply limits, and hold up against the physics of the materials chosen. Diagnoses prototype failures from recorded test data. Precedent is limited by the pace at which the technology advances, and an error carried into manufacture is expensive to reverse.
Sequences design, prototype, verification and product introduction stages, estimates the time, cost, resources and materials a development will need, and schedules and coordinates the work of others around it. Determines own tasks and priorities within development timetables set by a competitive market.
Builds, tests and modifies prototypes and assembles or adapts existing equipment, using test instrumentation and calibrating electronic equipment. Sustained work at a workstation.

Responsibilities

No standing line management, but directs technicians, engineering designers and other technical support personnel as needed, leads others in the development team, and trains system designers and users. The output of those technicians and designers depends on the specifications issued here.
No budget is held. Evaluates cost constraints in determining hardware configuration, selects hardware and material against specification, and recommends purchases — including equipment to control dust, temperature and humidity where systems are installed. Recommendations commit manufacturing expenditure, but authority for it rests above the role.
Responsible for prototypes, working models, components and test instrumentation in use, and for the hardware and materials selected as compliant with specification. Monitors the functioning of equipment and modifies it to keep it in conformance, and specifies power supply requirements and configuration.
Owns the technical record of a development: functional specifications documenting the hardware development process, recorded and analysed test data, layout plans and configuration decisions. Others fabricate to this documentation, so an inaccuracy propagates into manufacture, and some configuration work carries security restrictions.

Effort required

Sustained exactness across detailed design and verification work, where a specification error tends to surface only at test or in manufacture. Combines creative design thought with quantitative estimation and applied physics, and switches between design, test analysis and support to other functions.
Accountable for design decisions that commit others to build, in a field where products are developed competitively and to time pressure. No exposure to distress, hostility or aggression.
Predominantly seated work. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled work throughout, without noise, contaminants, hazardous equipment or exposure to weather, and with no contact with aggressive or distressed people. The work is closely collaborative, with frequent face-to-face discussion in and between teams.
About two-thirds of posts follow a regular established schedule, a significant minority vary with production demands or contract duration, and a small number are seasonal; three-quarters of incumbents work more than forty hours a week. No shift or on-call obligation is evidenced. Autonomy is high — tasks, priorities and goals are largely determined by the postholder — under time pressure from development timetables, with decisions that reach co-workers and company results.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Basic organisational skills required. The job involves planning and organising one's own work within set deadlines. Some input into scheduling and prioritisation of tasks.
Physical skillsLevel 1 of 5
14 of 72 points
Minimal physical skills required. The job requires basic physical skills, such as handling light objects or using simple tools.

Responsibility

35% · 130 points▾

PeopleLevel 2 of 5
58 of 144 points
Basic responsibility for people. Provides support, guidance or advice to individuals or small teams. This could include assisting with personal development, providing informal mentoring or guiding others through tasks with minimal decision-making power. It may involve contributing to others' sense of safety and comfort, but with limited decision-making authority or accountability for outcomes.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for information. The job requires the individual to gather, process or share information in a controlled way, following guidelines or predefined procedures.
Financial resourcesLevel 0 of 5
0 of 96 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any responsibility for financial resources.

Effort

15% · 60 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 1 of 5
14 of 72 points
Minimal psychosocial and emotional effort. There is little to no need to manage emotional responses. The job involves minimal exposure to emotionally demanding situations.
Physical effortLevel 1 of 5
10 of 48 points
Minimal physical effort. The job involves light physical tasks, such as occasional lifting or moving light objects.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.