Senior Hardware Design Engineer

Job description:

1.1 Position Summary

The Senior Hardware Design Engineer owns the hardware design of embedded electronic products — IoT / IIoT / AIoT gateways, industrial automation controllers, and related embedded systems — from a given system block diagram through schematic capture, PCB layout, BOM optimization, prototyping, testing, certification, and handover to production. The role carries end-to-end accountability for translating a functional/system requirement into a manufacturable, certifiable, field-reliable product, working closely with firmware, mechanical, product management, and manufacturing teams.

1.2 Key Responsibilities

A. Circuit Design & Schematic Development.

• Own circuit design from concept to final schematic — component selection, topology decisions (power, analog, digital, RF/wireless, protection), and design-margin analysis.
• Prepare schematics and footprints in line with design-for-manufacture (DFM) and design-for-test (DFT) norms; own the component library (symbols, footprints, 3D models).
• Perform worst-case analysis, thermal and power-budget calculations, and signal-/power-integrity checks before layout release.

B. End-to-End Product Design & Cross-Functional Delivery.

• Take ownership of end-to-end hardware product design starting from the system block diagram / functional requirement handed over by architecture, product, or firmware teams.
• Convert the block diagram into a detailed design plan: architecture partitioning, interface definition, connector/pinout strategy, and design & test standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be followed for the project.
• Collaborate continuously with firmware, product management, mechanical, and quality teams to align hardware decisions with product goals, cost targets, and schedule.
• Drive BOM optimization for cost, lead time, second-sourcing, and long-term (life-of-product) component availability.

C. Embedded Product Design — IoT / IIoT / AIoT / Automation.

• Design embedded hardware for IoT/IIoT/AIoT gateways, edge-compute nodes, and industrial automation products — including processor/SoM selection, connectivity (Wi-Fi/BLE/cellular/LoRa/Ethernet/RS-485/Modbus), and sensor/actuator interfacing.
• Consider enclosure, mounting, and installation requirements (IP rating, DIN-rail/panel mount, connector placement, cable entry) as part of the hardware design, in coordination with mechanical/industrial design.
• Design for long, unattended field life — component derating, thermal management, surge/ESD/EMI protection, watchdogs, and firmware-assisted fail-safe hardware features.

D. High-Level & Functional Block Diagrams.

• Generate high-level design and functional block diagrams from system requirements where one is not already provided, to align stakeholders before detailed design starts.

E. Testing, Validation, Compliance & Certification.

• Define and execute the test plan for each product as per applicable hardware product standards — functional test, environmental (temperature/humidity/vibration), EMC/EMI, safety, and long-duration burn-in / life testing.
• Identify applicable regulatory and safety standards for each product/market (e.g., CE, FCC, BIS/CDSCO, IEC 61000/60950/62368, UL, RoHS/REACH) and plan pre-compliance and formal lab testing accordingly.
• Coordinate with external test/certification labs to get products tested and certified; own closure of non-conformances raised during certification.
• Test hardware components individually and in conjunction with external/integrated systems; conduct functionality and performance testing of final products against specification.

F. Sustaining Engineering & Documentation.

• Analyze field/system data to define and implement hardware configuration or revision changes.
• Perform root-cause analysis (RCA) and troubleshoot hardware defects; define and implement preventive/corrective actions to minimize recurrence.
• Provide technical support to production, field service, and customers for hardware-related issues; support initial board bring-up and low-level validation.
• Create and maintain specifications and documentation for components, sub-systems and complete systems (design docs, test reports, DFM/DFMEA records, certification files).
• Stay current with emerging components, tools, and technologies, and evaluate their applicability to existing and future products.

1.3 Required Skills, Tools & Experience

• Hands-on proficiency in Altium Designer and/or OrCAD (schematic capture, PCB layout, library management); familiarity with simulation tools (SPICE-based circuit simulation, signal-/power-integrity tools).
• Demonstrated experience across the full hardware product lifecycle: concept → schematic/layout → prototype → DFM → EMC/safety pre-compliance and certification → handover to production.
• Strong fundamentals in Analog, digital, power electronics, and embedded processor/microcontroller-based design.
• Strong low-level software skills and ability to perform initial board bring-up (register-level debug, boot-loader/BSP checks); exposure to Embedded Linux (device tree, kernel drivers, bring-up on SoM/SoC platforms) is a strong plus.
• Working knowledge of applicable EMC, safety, and product-certification standards relevant to industrial/IoT electronics.
• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Electronics/Electrical/Embedded Engineering with typically 3–8+ years of relevant hardware design experience.