Sr. Hardware Engineer

About the role

The Sr. Hardware Engineer designs and supports high-reliability printed circuit board assemblies for harsh environment Layer 2 and Layer 3 industrial Ethernet switches. This role focuses on board-level hardware design, low voltage power supply design, and embedded CPU/SoC architectures, while ensuring products meet performance, manufacturability, and compliance requirements throughout their lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Design printed circuit board assemblies for harsh environment Layer 2 and Layer 3 industrial Ethernet switches, including switch and PHY circuitry.
• Perform electrical hardware design that integrates low voltage power supplies (DC up to 138V), DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM, NOR/NAND flash, and embedded CPUs/SoCs.
• Develop both analog and digital circuitry at the board level, ensuring robust performance in industrial and harsh environmental conditions.
• Execute comprehensive hardware verification on new products, including bench testing, debug, and validation of design requirements.
• Provide lifecycle support for products from inception through end of life, including investigation and resolution of field issues not handled by field support personnel.
• Analyze and interpret new product requirements to ensure designs meet commercial, technical, and reliability objectives.
• Design for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) at the schematic level to enable successful compliance with relevant standards.
• Contribute to low voltage power supply design, including power architecture, regulation, and protection for DC inputs up to 138V.
• Collaborate on industrial Ethernet switching design at the circuit level, including Layer 2/3 switching, PHY interfaces, and high-speed Ethernet (1Gb/10Gb) design.
• Create and maintain clear, accurate schematics and design documentation using schematic entry tools.
• Support or participate in compliance and certification activities, including EMC and safety testing (such as UL, CSA, TUV, FCC) as needed.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including firmware, test, and manufacturing, to resolve design issues and improve product performance.
• Mentor and support less experienced engineers as appropriate, sharing knowledge in areas such as power design, EMC, and high-speed digital design.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design practices, lab processes, and verification methodologies in a well-equipped engineering lab environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or Computer Engineering (BSCE).
• At least 6 years of experience in both analog and digital board-level hardware design.
• At least 6 years of experience in low voltage power supply design with DC inputs up to 138V.
• Hands-on experience designing embedded CPU, microprocessor, or SoC-based hardware platforms, including integration of DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM and NOR/NAND flash.
• Networking hardware design experience, including 1Gb/10Gb Ethernet and switching architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to design for EMC at the schematic level, including component selection, layout guidance, and mitigation strategies.
• Proficiency with schematic entry tools and the creation of detailed, production-ready schematics.
• Experience with PCB/board-level hardware design, including integration of Ethernet PHYs, power supplies, and mixed-signal circuitry.
• Familiarity with industrial Ethernet switching at the circuit level, including Layer 2/3 switch and PHY design.
• Ability to analyze new product requirements and translate them into practical, manufacturable hardware designs.
• Strong troubleshooting and verification skills for new hardware, including use of lab equipment and measurement techniques.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills for working with cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams.

Qualifications

• Experience designing for harsh environments, including temperature ranges from -40°C to +75°C.
• Exposure to or experience with EMC compliance testing and safety certifications, such as UL, CSA, TUV, and FCC; willingness to learn and perform on-site testing is valued.
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) design experience, particularly with IEEE 802.3bt standards.
• Experience with programmable logic or FPGAs in board-level designs.
• Fiber optic interface design experience, including optical transceivers and related circuitry.
• PCB layout experience, especially for high-speed and EMI-sensitive designs, or close collaboration with layout engineers.
• Design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for test (DFT) experience, including working with manufacturing to optimize builds.
• Prior mentoring or technical lead experience, including guiding junior engineers or leading aspects of design projects.
• Familiarity with compliance testing processes and documentation for industrial products.
• Interest in working in a stable, long-tenured engineering team with a strong product roadmap and access to an extensive, well-equipped lab.
• Motivation to grow from verification responsibilities into broader design ownership under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Benefits

Unknown at this time.

Schedule

Full-time, permanent position based in Raleigh, NC.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $110,000.00 - $130,000.00/yr.