Sr Hardware Design engineer
Indexed description
The Hardware Design Engineer plays a key role throughout the full NPI (New Product Introduction) lifecycle for water meters and SmartPoint products, from early technology research and proof-of-concept development to schematic ownership, prototype builds, testing, validation, and successful product launch into high-volume mass production.
Product Support & Lifecycle Management
- Sustain released electrical designs through production, field use, and end‑of‑life.
- Provide technical support for manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and service teams.
- Assess and implement design changes to address obsolescence, cost reduction, reliability, and manufacturability.
- Lead electrical failure analysis of field returns, production issues, and test failures.
- Identify root causes using structured problem‑solving methods (e.g., 5‑Why, Fishbone, DFMEA).
- Define and validate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Create, review, and approve Engineering Change Notices (ECNs) affecting schematics, PCBAs, firmware interfaces, wiring, and components.
- Ensure changes are properly documented, reviewed, tested, and released.
- Verify that design changes do not adversely affect form, fit, function, or regulatory compliance.
- Support production start‑ups, line issues, yield improvements, and test coverage.
- Troubleshoot electrical issues on the manufacturing floor.
- Collaborate with test engineers to improve electrical test methods and diagnostics.
- Manage component substitutions, second sources, and form‑fit‑function equivalents.
- Work with suppliers to resolve electrical component quality or performance issues.
- Evaluate and approve alternative components due to supply chain constraints or obsolescence.
- Define and execute electrical verification tests for sustaining changes.
- Support system‑level testing, environmental testing, and compliance testing.
- Review test data to ensure changes meet performance and reliability requirements.
- Maintain accurate electrical documentation including schematics, BOMs, specifications, and test reports.
- Ensure products continue to meet applicable regulatory, safety, and EMC requirements.
- Support internal and external audits as required.
- Work closely with firmware, mechanical, manufacturing, quality, and service engineering teams.
- Communicate technical findings and decisions clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
- Support customer issue resolution when electrical expertise is required.
- Drive design improvements to enhance reliability, robustness, and serviceability.
- Identify trends in field or production failures and recommend long‑term design improvements.
- Contribute to lessons learned and best practices for future product designs.
- 3–7+ years of experience in electrical engineering, preferably in a sustaining, manufacturing support, or product lifecycle role
- Strong knowledge of:
- Analog and digital circuit design
- Power electronics and motor control (as applicable)
- Sensors, ADCs/DACs, and embedded interfaces
- Ability to read and modify:
- Electrical schematics
- Wiring diagrams
- PCB layouts (review-level)
- Experience with troubleshooting hardware issues at board and system level
- Understanding of tolerance analysis, calibration, and electrical performance limits
- Familiarity with HW‑FW interaction and debugging embedded systems
- Schematic capture and PCB tools (e.g., Altium, OrCAD, Eagle, Mentor)
- Lab equipment: oscilloscope, DMM, logic analyzer, power supplies
- PLM/ERP systems (e.g., Windchill, Agile, Teamcenter)
- Test and data analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python, Excel)
- Experience supporting manufacturing lines and test stations
- Familiarity with DFMEA, PFMEA, and Root Cause Analysis
- Understanding of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT)
- Experience working with suppliers and contract manufacturers
- Knowledge of applicable safety, EMC, and regulatory standards (UL, IEC, CE, FCC, etc.)
- Experience supporting compliance testing and audits
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Ability to work cross‑functionally with:
- Firmware
- Mechanical engineering
- Manufacturing
- Quality
- Supply chain
- Ability to prioritize issues in a fast‑paced production environment
- Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher)
- IPC certification (electronics assembly/PCB standards)
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