Hardware Design Engineer

About the role

This role combines hands-on circuit board layout, component selection and lifecycle management, and cross-functional collaboration to support new product development, production line needs, and long-term reliability of industrial generator controllers.

Responsibilities

• Develop electronic circuit board assembly designs of moderately broad scope, including mixed-signal, microcontroller-based controllers, power converters, and radio frequency applications.
• Create circuit board layouts that meet electrical, mechanical, and environmental requirements, including compliance with third-party certifications and applicable industry standards.
• Develop and maintain department subject matter expertise and best practices in circuit board design and assembly technologies.
• Participate in electronics hardware design peer reviews and provide constructive feedback to improve design quality and compliance.
• Analyze and resolve vendor component change and obsolescence notifications, and implement design updates to ensure continuity of supply.
• Maintain production drawings, electronic circuit board design files, and data for all electronic circuit board assemblies to support manufacturing and lifecycle management.
• Maintain and update the database of electronic components and circuit board footprints, including approved vendor part numbers and alternatives.
• Use and refine circuit board assembly design best practices, including risk assessment, design for environment, and design for manufacturability and serviceability.
• Work in a cross-functional team environment to analyze and mitigate component change and obsolescence issues affecting existing products and new designs.
• Use standard electronics laboratory tools, such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and digital multimeters, to analyze, debug, and document proper operation of electronic circuits and systems.
• Support cross-functional teams in analyzing and resolving electronics circuit board assembly production issues, including electromagnetic compatibility and signal integrity concerns.
• Meet with vendors and internal customers to discuss, document, and resolve technical issues related to electronic circuit board assemblies and components.
• Optimize circuit board layouts to meet EMC test performance and regulatory requirements, including FCC, UL, CSA, and CE standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of hardware designs to reduce warranty issues and improve robustness, particularly in the areas of electromagnetic noise and high-speed digital design.
• Demonstrate strong abstract reasoning and problem-solving by documenting problem-solving processes, test data, and design decisions in a clear and traceable manner.

Essential Skills

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• 4+ years of experience designing circuit boards for industrial controllers that meet FCC, UL, CSA, and CE requirements, including standards such as UL6200, UL1010, and UL2200.
• Proven experience designing and laying out electronic circuit boards for industrial control applications.
• Hands-on experience with circuit board layout for mixed-signal, microcontroller-based controllers, power converters, and radio frequency circuits.
• Strong knowledge of electronic components, circuit board technologies, and industrial control electronics.
• Ability to develop circuit board layouts that meet electrical, mechanical, and environmental requirements, as well as third-party certification standards.
• Experience optimizing EMC performance of high-speed circuits to meet regulatory and design requirements.
• Experience laying out high-speed memory buses, such as DDR3, in controlled-impedance designs to meet timing tolerances of high-speed microprocessors and memory devices.
• Familiarity with EMC, FCC, UL, CSA, and CE compliance requirements for electronic hardware.
• Proficiency using standard electronics laboratory equipment, including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and digital multimeters, for debugging and validation.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and mitigate component obsolescence and vendor change issues in a production environment.
• Strong abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills with the ability to clearly document analysis, data, and design decisions.
• Experience with multilayer circuit boards, including designs with eight or more layers.
• Experience designing board layouts for fine-pitch ball grid array components.
• Experience designing board layouts for radio circuits.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering combined with 2+ years of related work experience is also acceptable.
• Experience using OrCAD or similar PCB design tools for circuit board layout and documentation.
• Experience with industrial generator controllers or similar industrial control systems.
• Familiarity with database management of electronic components and circuit board footprints, including approved vendor part numbers.
• Experience participating in and contributing to structured peer review processes for hardware designs.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, collaborating with engineering, production, supply chain, and vendors.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for documenting technical issues, design decisions, and test results.
• Interest in or aptitude for future project management responsibilities related to mitigating part obsolescence and leading hardware improvement or warranty reduction projects.
• Attention to detail and a systematic approach to design, testing, and documentation.
• Comfort working on high-speed digital, mixed-signal, and RF designs in an industrial environment.

Work Environment

This role supports industrial generator controllers used in production environments, covering generator systems from approximately 15 kW to 4000 kW. A typical day involves spending roughly 70% of the time working on circuit board layouts and new or updated electronic designs, and about 30% of the time addressing component obsolescence, vendor changes, and production support issues. The position operates in a collaborative, cross-functional setting with regular interaction with engineering colleagues, production teams, and external vendors. Work is primarily performed in an office and electronics lab environment, using PCB design software, standard electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and digital multimeters, and documentation tools to support design and troubleshooting activities.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $89,000.00 - $114,000.00/yr.

Benefits

Comprehensive coverage includes medical, dental, and vision plans, plus life insurance and retirement options to support your long-term well-being.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position in Sheboygan, WI. This is a Permanent position.