Chief Technical Officer

Role Overview

Raptor Photonics provide world class cameras to the scientific and surveillance markets. We are looking for a CTO to provide sound technical leadership in all aspects of our business. You will communicate with employees, stakeholders, and customers to ensure our company’s technologies are used appropriately. Strategic thinking and strong business acumen are essential in this role. We expect you to be well-versed in current technological trends and familiar with a variety of business concepts.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing strategies for future development projects based on the company’s overall objectives and resources. This will include developing product roadmap for next 5 years, including new sensors, product diversification, based on sales input and technology availability
• Utilising the skill of the R&D team and any necessary collaborations to create new and innovative products
• Managing the engineering team and driving projects to closure. The team work on various projects at any given time (average 30-40) and you will play a pivotal role in ensuring each project is suitably resourced and that you are able to prioritise the workload. Contract values range between £1M-5M
• Hiring engineers and coordinate their training. It is important that you can demonstrate strong people management skills, including managing the individuals’ expectations of targets, performance management, driving and rewarding top performers to ensure all employees are challenged in their role
• Prepare and manage the engineering department’s budget
• Presenting technical papers at international conferences, such as Defence and Commercial Sensing (DCS) in Orlando, Photonics West in San Francisco, DSEI in London

Key Skills & Experience

• BEng/MEng in Electronics or similar field
• Demonstrated experience as Chief Technology Officer or equivalent leadership role within an engineering department, highlighting success in driving technological growth and product development
• A strong grasp of current and evolving technological advancements, coupled with a demonstrated track record in developing innovative strategies that align seamlessly with organisational objectives
• Expertise in conducting comprehensive technological analyses and in-depth research to guide innovative decision-making processes
• Overseeing project budgets and crafting business strategies that ensure fulfilment of client contractual obligations while optimising departmental efficiency and productivity
• Proficiency in managing budgets and developing strategic business plans to support sustainable growth and technological advancements
• Demonstrable experience at developing strategic plans (e.g. 3/5 year plans)
• Proven project management expertise that ensured the successful delivery of projects through strategic planning and precise execution

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in CCD/CMOS/SWIR cameras or similar industry
• Experience in grants / funding (e.g. Invest NI)
• Programme management experience