Lead Hardware System Architect

Lead Hardware System Architect 
Espoo / Helsinki, Finland (Relocation Support Available)
Salary: €5,000–€7,000/month
Full-time | On-site Preferred

A fast-growing deep-tech biotech startup is seeking a Lead Hardware System Architect to join the founding engineering team and lead the architecture of next-generation diagnostic instrumentation. This role is ideal for a hands-on hardware leader who thrives in multidisciplinary environments and has successfully brought complex hardware systems from concept to production.

You will own the full electronics and embedded systems stack — spanning mixed-signal hardware, embedded firmware, FPGA development, and system integration across optical, microfluidic, and sensing subsystems.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect system-level hardware including front-end electronics, power systems, digital control, embedded interfaces, and external connectivity
• Design and develop mixed-signal and high-voltage PCBs with precision analog front-ends, protection circuitry, and low-noise measurement systems
• Develop FPGA/HDL solutions using VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog for timing-critical control and high-speed interfaces
• Integrate hardware with photonics, microfluidics, and mechanical systems to ensure synchronized and reliable subsystem operation
• Lead hardware bring-up, verification, debugging, and production transfer
• Establish scalable engineering standards, tooling, and hardware development practices

Requirements

Must Have

• 5+ years of experience in mixed-signal, embedded, or high-voltage electronics for complex instrumentation or hardware systems
• Strong experience across the full hardware lifecycle: architecture, PCB design, firmware, FPGA implementation, validation, and production
• Expertise in multilayer PCB design for dense, connector-rich systems
• Experience with FPGA-controlled actuator or sensor systems
• Proven track record shipping reliable hardware products with strong focus on testability and manufacturability

Nice to Have

• Experience in semiconductor-related technologies
• Exposure to medical devices, biotech instrumentation, photonics, or precision sensing systems

Ideal Candidate

• High-ownership engineering leader with strong system-thinking ability
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced startup environments
• Experienced collaborating across hardware, optics, fluidics, and mechanical engineering teams
• Passionate about building production-grade systems from early-stage prototypes

What's Offered

• Opportunity to shape the hardware architecture of a breakthrough product
• Freedom to choose tools, development stack, and engineering standards
• Collaborative founding-team environment with strong technical ownership
• Relocation support for candidates moving to Finland