Sr. Hardware Engineer-North Carolina

Based in Cary, NC onsite, the Sr. Hardware Engineer designs rugged PCB assemblies for harsh environment Layer 2 and Layer 3 Industrial Ethernet switches and guides hardware development from concept to end of life.

Responsibilities

• Design Layer 2 and Layer 3 access and distribution switches qualified for outdoor installations across sectors such as power utilities, oil and gas, industrial automation, process control, rail trackside, roadway traffic control, and surveillance camera deployments.
• Develop DIN rail and rack mount solutions with natural convection (no fans) to operate from -40 C to 75 C ambient.
• Ensure high electromagnetic immunity and surge tolerance, targeting 10 Vrms conducted and 10 V/m radiated immunity, plus 4 kV lightning surge requirements.
• Interface design includes DC input and power entry for 24 Vdc, 48 Vdc, and 110 Vdc systems.
• Develop 1 Gb and 10 Gb Ethernet copper and optical interfaces, including 10/100/1000Base-T and fiber uplinks (100Base-FX, 1000Base-X, 10GBase-SR, -LR, -ER, and CX4).
• Design PoE solutions up to IEEE 802.3bt with up to 95 W per port.
• Perform digital circuit board level design and analog circuit design for rugged environments.
• Conceive low voltage power supply designs and power entry designs for 24 Vdc, 48 Vdc, and 110 Vdc systems.
• Develop embedded CPU and SoC configurations with DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM and Flash memory and integrate Ethernet Switch and PHY ICs.
• Write and maintain functional specifications, detailed specifications, manufacturing test plans, and designer test plans/results for all developed products.
• Translate product requirements into concrete design objectives and select appropriate components to meet specifications.
• Lead power and thermal analyses and coordinate with Mechanical Design for optimal component placement to support thermal simulations.
• Provide guidance to PCB layout designers for bare PCB design and EMC compliant layouts.
• Collaborate with PCB suppliers on stack up definitions to ensure design requirements are met.
• Incorporate Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Test (DFT), and Product Structure Checklist (PSC) considerations during development.
• Conduct hardware bring up and designer testing on new designs; rectify issues identified during compliance activities.
• Execute system level hardware testing across the full operating range of the product and support EMC lab testing and formal compliance processes.
• Share new knowledge with the team and participate in supplier interactions to stay current on applicable technologies.
• Provide weekly status updates to management and review peers' designs constructively.
• Troubleshoot field and factory issues not resolved by first level support.
• Technologies used include DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM, Flash memory, 1 Gb Ethernet, 10 Gb Ethernet, PoE (IEEE 802.3bt), 100Base-FX, 1000Base-X, 10GBase-SR, 10GBase-LR, 10GBase-ER, 10GBase-CX4, and Ethernet Switch and PHY ICs.

Requirements

• 6+ years of analog and digital design experience.
• 6+ years with 24 Vdc to 110 Vdc power and low voltage power design.
• Power entry design experience for 24 Vdc, 48 Vdc, and 110 Vdc systems.
• Low voltage power supply design experience.
• EMC design and testing experience for compliance.
• Embedded CPU, microprocessor, or System on Chip design experience.
• Networking design experience including 1 Gb and 10 Gb Ethernet copper and optical, switching, and PHYs.
• Experience with industrial temperature product design.
• Programmable logic experience is a plus.
• Proficient with schematic entry.
• Experience with PCB layout techniques for high speed design and EMI compliance.
• Experience designing products to meet Class A and Class B EMI requirements.
• Experience designing products for harsh outdoor environments.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to identify effective solutions.
• Knowledge of industrial temperature design principles.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers.
• Typically reports to a manager or head of department.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Maintain professional demeanor in stressful situations and collaborate across functions.
• Ownership mindset with accountability and strong interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to receive and apply feedback to improve performance.
• Strong prioritization, planning, and time management abilities.
• Maintain regular, predictable attendance and adapt to shifting priorities while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to handle multiple interruptions and distractions while staying productive.
• Commitment to the necessary hours of work to reach goals.