About Acura Embedded Systems
For over 30 years, Acura Embedded Systems has been a trusted North American designer and manufacturer of custom, rugged-industrial, and Hazardous Location (HazLoc) certified computing solutions. Built to withstand the world’s harshest environments—from oil rigs and open-pit mines to emergency response vehicles—our products (including our flagship Roughneck™ series, PowerBrick™ mini PCs, and AcuSense™ IoT platforms) deliver reliability where standard technology fails.
Driven by an agile culture of roughly 35 passionate professionals across 10+ nationalities, we operate with ISO 9000-certified precision. We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Head of R&D to lead our product innovation, engineering execution, and deployment pipeline.
Position Overview
As the Head of R&D, you will work closely with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to spearhead the design, prototyping, testing, documentation, and deployment of our next-generation rugged hardware and HazLoc computing products. You will lead a talented team of engineers and technicians, ensuring projects move seamlessly from concept to certified production-ready solutions on time and within budget.
In addition to managing internal engineering operations, you will actively engage with key stakeholders, system integrators, and end-user customers to capture field requirements, validate technical specs, and refine custom architectures. This role requires strong technical expertise in embedded hardware engineering combined with sharp project management skills.
Key Responsibilities
- Executive Collaboration & Technical Strategy:
- Work directly alongside the CTO to translate company vision, customer feedback, and technological advancements into actionable R&D roadmaps.
- Participate in technical discovery meetings with key stakeholders, system integrators, and end users to understand environmental challenges and tailor hardware designs to exact operational needs.
- Design, Prototyping & Golden Sample Production:
- Lead the design, schematic development, and architectural prototyping for new products and custom customer integrations.
- Oversee the hands-on assembly, tuning, and validation of Golden Sample units for smooth transfer to full-scale production.
- Project & Team Leadership:
- Manage day-to-day operations of the R&D engineering team, establishing clear project milestones, timelines, and resource allocations.
- Enforce strict deadline management to complete, test, and deploy products on schedule.
- Testing, Quality & Compliance:
- Direct environmental, thermal, and electrical testing protocols (extreme temperatures from -40°C to +70°C, IP65/IP66 ingress protection, high shock/vibration).
- Coordinate structural testing and compliance protocols supporting HazLoc certifications (Class I Div 1/Div 2, ATEX, IECEx).
- Documentation & BOM Management:
- Build, implement, and maintain structured Bill of Materials (BOM) lists and revision controls for all hardware and sub-assemblies.
- Ensure complete design documentation, Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), assembly guides, and schematics comply with ISO 9000 processes.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: 8+ years of engineering experience in embedded systems, rugged electronics, or industrial hardware design, with at least 3+ years in an engineering leadership or project management role.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Technical Expertise:
- Strong knowledge of x86/ARM architecture, fanless thermal management, wide-DC power supplies, high-bright displays, and industrial I/O.
- Proven experience with BOM creation, component sourcing, schematic documentation, and manufacturing handoffs.
- Hands-on experience building prototypes and Golden Samples.
- Stakeholder & Project Skills:
- Comfortable interfacing directly with executive leadership, client engineers, and external end-user stakeholders.
- Strong project management track record driving multi-faceted hardware pipelines to completion on strict deadlines.
- Bonus Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Hazardous Location (HazLoc) standards (C1D2/C1D1, ATEX, IECEx).
- Working knowledge of ISO 9001/9000 quality management standards.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
- Comprehensive health and dental benefits package.
- A collaborative, family-oriented work environment with high retention and diverse global talent.
- Direct ownership over innovative products used globally in mission-critical environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage multiple research projects, ensuring timely completion while maintaining high standards of quality and scientific rigor.
- Supervise laboratory activities, overseeing experiments, data collection, analysis, and documentation to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.
- Develop and implement research strategies that align with organizational objectives, fostering innovation and continuous improvement.
- Mentor and supervise a team of researchers, providing guidance on technical challenges, professional development, and project priorities.
- Coordinate cross-functional collaboration with product development, engineering, and marketing teams to translate research findings into viable products or solutions.
- Manage project timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk mitigation to ensure successful project execution.
- Stay abreast of emerging scientific trends, technological advancements, and industry standards to incorporate best practices into research activities.
Skills
- Extensive laboratory experience with proficiency in designing experiments, troubleshooting issues, and analyzing complex data sets.
- Proven supervising experience leading research teams or laboratories with a focus on fostering innovation and teamwork.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to plan, execute, monitor progress, and adapt strategies as needed.
- Demonstrated expertise in conducting research within scientific or technical domains relevant to the organization’s focus areas.
- Exceptional leadership qualities with the ability to motivate teams, communicate effectively, and influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Experience in data collection methodologies ensuring accuracy, integrity, and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Excellent problem-solving skills combined with a proactive approach to overcoming technical challenges.
Join us in shaping the future through groundbreaking research! We value energetic leaders who thrive in fast-paced environments and are passionate about pushing the boundaries of innovation. If you are ready to lead impactful projects that make a difference worldwide, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity!
Pay: $80,000.00-$100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Disability insurance
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Surrey, BC V3S 1Z3: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- Please provide an example of your history of industrial hardware design, mention any specifics of industrial computing hardware.
- Provide an example of your past leadership roles and responsibilities.
- Provide an example of an R&D you lead with real stakeholders or customers.
Education:
- Master's Degree (preferred)
Experience:
- Leadership: 3 years (preferred)
Location:
- Surrey, BC V3S 1Z3 (required)
Work Location: In person