Q-tech
Director of Wireless R&D – 5G-Advanced & 6G | UK or Málaga, Spain
Requirements
Requires 12+ years of R&D experience in wireless, telecom, test and measurement, or related hardware-software products, including 6+ years leading wireless teams and managing managers in large, multi-site organizations. Candidates should have a software engineering background, strong understanding of software architecture, and experience delivering complex hardware-software products end to end; protocol stacks, network emulation, modems/chipsets, and 3GPP or Wi-Fi experience are advantageous.
Job Description
What does a chipset vendor do before its next 5G modem ever touches a real network? It tests against the platforms this team builds.
Our client is a global technology leader in test and measurement. Its device test business is growing fast, and it is looking for the Director who will take full ownership of its wireless R&D organisation. Positions like this almost never go to the external market. This one does.
The opportunity
- Lead around 300 engineers across five European countries, through a leadership team of 6–8 Engineering Managers.
- Two missions at once: evolve a market-leading product line used by the world’s top chipset makers, device OEMs and test labs, and build a brand-new 6G platform from scratch.
- Real business ownership: you own the technical and business roadmap from concept to commercial release, reporting directly to the General Manager.
- Set the engineering strategy across 5G-Advanced, 6G and Wi-Fi, ahead of the standards rather than behind them.
What you bring
- 12+ years in R&D for wireless, telecom, test and measurement, or other hardware-software products.
- 6+ years wirelessleaders: you have managed managers and large, multi-site engineering organisations.
- A software engineering background (engineer, tech lead, EM, director) and a solid grasp of software architecture. You won’t be coding, but you can go deep with your architects.
- Experience shipping complex products that combine software and hardware, end to end.
- Bonus points for protocol stacks, network emulation, modems/chipsets, or 3GPP/Wi-Fi ecosystems.
What’s in it for you
- A highly competitive package: base, bonus, equity and a full benefits package.
- Full relocation and visa sponsorship to the UK or Málaga, the Costa del Sol’s tech hub.
- An office-based leadership role at the heart of the team, with some flexibility.
- The chance to shape how the world tests the next generation of wireless.
Skills
About Q-tech
We are a tech recruitment company specialising in information technology, dedicated to connecting your team with exceptional talent in the industry. We collaborate with a diverse range of clients - from early-stage startups and growing scale-ups to established medium-sized businesses and multinational corporations (banking, retail, industry) - to identify the IT talent that brings their most ambitious projects to life. For each project, we design a tailored recruitment plan - from crafting standout job offers and selecting top candidates to providing ongoing support throughout the negotiation and onboarding process. Our headhunters speak the language of tech. That's why we have created different specialized teams focused on what matters: systems, software and product engineering, management functions, sales and marketing. If you’re looking for talent, let’s chat: cfont@q-techrec.com