Staff Engineer, Electronics

About the role

The Staff Electrical Engineer will focus on Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE) for embedded electronic systems used in dispenser products. The role is responsible for identifying, validating, and implementing hardware cost-reduction, supply continuity, and lifecycle sustainment improvements while maintaining product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and compliance. This is a hands-on individual contributor role centered on released products and production environments. This is not an NPI design role; it is focused on production products, implemented changes, and realized savings/risk reduction.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical VAVE initiatives for released products, including: BOM cost reduction, Alternate component qualification, Obsolescence mitigation, Design-for-cost improvements.
• Perform technical analysis of schematics, BOMs, and test data to identify cost-out opportunities without performance regression.
• Execute component substitution and redesign activities, including tolerance analysis, derating checks, and validation planning.
• Partner with sourcing, supplier quality, manufacturing, and test engineering to evaluate and industrialize VAVE changes.
• Support supplier engagement for equivalent parts, second-source options, and long-term availability strategies.
• Drive engineering change implementation (ECO/ECN), including documentation updates, risk assessments, and release support.
• Conduct root cause analysis for issues related to component changes, field returns, or production variation.
• Ensure all VAVE changes meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements (e.g., UL, EMC/EMI, PCI where applicable).
• Support NPI and sustaining teams by transferring approved VAVE improvements into standard production workflows.
• Maintain clear technical documentation: validation reports, qualification plans, test results, and compliance evidence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Electronic Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 8+ years of experience in electronic hardware design, sustaining engineering, or VAVE-focused product engineering.
• Demonstrated experience delivering measurable cost reduction improvements in production products.
• Strong knowledge of embedded hardware, analog/digital circuits, power interfaces, and component-level tradeoff analysis.
• Experience with PCB design review and manufacturing constraints for volume production.
• Working knowledge of microcontrollers and board-level interfaces (SPI, I2C, CAN, UART, USB, Ethernet).
• Experience with compliance impacts of hardware changes (EMC/EMI, safety).
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with operations, sourcing, quality, and suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with should-cost analysis, teardown benchmarking, and VA/VE workshops.
• Familiarity with DFX/DFM/DFT and statistical validation methods.
• Practical experience with Altium, OrCAD, or equivalent ECAD tools.
• Knowledge of PCN management and component lifecycle tools.
• Experience in fuel dispenser, payment, industrial controls, or other regulated embedded systems is a plus.

Essential Functions

• Analyze existing electrical designs and production performance data.
• Independently execute multiple VAVE projects with clear prioritization.
• Collaborate with global teams and suppliers to implement approved changes.
• Communicate technical tradeoffs, risks, and validation results clearly.
• Maintain high-quality engineering documentation and change records.