Hardware Product Design Lead

Overview

Brightstar is investing in next-generation retail hardware solutions to meet evolving customer needs, regulatory complexity, and the demand for advanced connectivity and cashless transactions. Once product management defines the vision and requirements, this role ensures those concepts become cohesive, manufacturable, and scalable designs.

This is a newly established position created to close a critical gap between product strategy and engineering execution. It exists to own design governance and system architecture for new retail hardware products, eliminating fragmented design decisions and accelerating delivery by providing a single point of accountability for hardware design standards.

12–18 Month Success Outcomes

• Deliver end-to-end hardware design frameworks for at least one next-generation retail product (POS terminals, kiosks, vending machines, peripherals).
• Translate product requirements into system architecture and component specifications that engineering can execute without rework.
• Establish design standards that balance industrial aesthetics, cost targets, and reliability.
• Drive early engagement with manufacturing partners to optimize for scalability and cost.
• Ensure integration of advanced components (e.g., imaging systems, embedded electronics) without compromising performance or compliance.

Scope of Authority

Decision Rights:

• • Owns hardware design direction and system architecture for new retail products.
  • Final say on design standards and component selection within approved strategy.

Influence:

• • Engineering priorities, vendor partnerships, industrial design alignment.

Budget Authority:

• • Provides input on hardware design, prototyping, and vendor selection to ensure alignment with cost targets and manufacturability.
  • Provides recommendations for prototyping and component sourcing.

Team:

• • Initially an individual contributor role; may evolve to lead a small design governance team.

Leadership Expectations

• Operates as a builder - creates new design frameworks and enforces standards.
• Influences highly technical stakeholders without direct authority.
• Balances commercial priorities with technical constraints under tight timelines.
• Partners deeply with product management, engineering, procurement, and field services.

What Great Looks Like

Exceptional:

• • Has led hardware design governance for complex electromechanical systems at scale.
  • Strong experience integrating imaging/optical components and managing vendor relationships.

Acceptable:

• • Solid hardware product development leader with exposure to design standards and cross-functional alignment.

Non-Starter:

• • Pure engineering execution background with no experience influencing design decisions in a product-led organization.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years in hardware product development or design leadership roles.
• Proven experience in electromechanical systems and embedded components.
• Strong understanding of imaging systems and optics for retail or machine vision applications.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or equivalent).

Success Profile

• Leading Complexity
• Leading People
• Leading the Business
• Leading Self

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