WHAT DOES A COMPONENT ENGINEER DO?
Updated: Dec 24, 2024 - The Component Engineer designs and assists in developing software planning, embedded software, C/C++ embedded software, and Rich Internet Applications using Adobe Flex and other technologies. This role involves providing FPGA and digital ASIC design services, troubleshooting customer problem reports, and support system, hardware, and software architecture development. The engineer also tracks critical component roadmaps, facilitates vendor failure analysis, and collaborates with design engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Components Engineer
1. Component Engineer Details
- Part Selection Support: Supports Design Engineering (DE) in part selection, qualification, and evaluation.
- Supplier Focus Guidance: Guides DE away from part number proliferation by focusing on the use of existing sources from preferred suppliers.
- Vendor Part Verification: Verifies and maintains vendor part numbers, part markings, packaging, electrical and safety requirements in the Agile database.
- Component Evaluation: Evaluates and compares component data sheets.
- Mechanical Difference Evaluation: Properly evaluates mechanical differences in form/fit/function related to physical packaging, specifications, or certifications.
- Vendor PCN Management: Supports and manages Vendor Product Change Notices (PCNs).
- Obsolescence and Shortage Resolution: Assists Purchasing with managing part obsolescence, cost reduction, and shortage resolution by finding acceptable equivalents.
- Receiving Inspection Support: Supports Receiving Inspection by evaluating and the disposition of issues.
- Manufacturing Engineering Support: Provides Manufacturing Engineering component packaging information.
- First Article Inspection Support: Assists with First Article Inspection, as requested by Product Management or DE, and provides technical support.
2. Component Engineer Duties
- Lifecycle Monitoring: Monitor, identify and resolve all lifecycle issues and assist various teams to identify appropriate resources and substitutes for components.
- Solution Development: Analyze and develop solutions to resolve issues associated with obsolete components.
- Regulatory Compliance: Work alongside the Regulatory team, ensure components and assemblies comply with the latest Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), and maintain the component database to ensure that all regulatory documentation is up to date.
- Product Development: Participate in the new product development process, designing subassemblies such as wiring harnesses and board assemblies.
- Component Evaluation: Review and interpret component data sheets and evaluate components for being fit for use.
- Communication Management: Work with the development team to help manage communications with contract manufacturers and component manufacturers and distributors.
- ECR/ECN Processes: Utilize ECR/ECN processes and procedures.
- Activity Documentation: Document and provide support for all component activities.
- Cost Savings: Identify, lead and track cost savings opportunities in support of cost savings targets.
- Sourcing Coordination: Manage sourcing activity coordination (with Purchasing) and processes for sourcing duties relating to new product development including leading or collaborating with Purchasing for supplier selection, capability assessment, quality improvement, and supplier readiness.
- Manufacturing Liaison: Work as the liaison between Engineering and manufacturing engineering to evaluate and resolve component manufacturing issues.
3. Component Engineer Responsibilities
- New Component Requests: Facilitate new component requests to be added to the electronic Global Component Library.
- Non-duplicate Component Creation: Ensure non-duplicate component creation.
- Global Component Library/Database: Manage the Global Electronics Sourcing (GES) Global Component Library/Database.
- Supplier Part Change: Communicate supplier part change notification and end-of-life information through Siemens Teamcenter.
- Alternates and Replacements: Recommend alternates and replacements for end-of-life components.
- Effective Communications: Provide candid, effective, clear, concise, and timely communications up, down, and across the organization on progress, barrier removal, and escalation of business risks/opportunities while driving appropriate actions based on priorities and tradeoffs.
- Suppliers Interact: Interact with suppliers to review component specifications meeting performance requirements while falling within supplier process capabilities.
- Regulatory Standards: Review supplier and joint design components for compliance with regulatory standards such as UL, ROHS, and REACH.
- Component Standardization Strategies: Develop component standardization strategies for cost reduction and worldwide sourcing.
- Supplier Assessment Criteria: Assist in the development and/or modification of new and existing assessment criteria for supplier and component qualification and quality improvement processes.
- Supplier Data: Assist in organizing and evaluating TTI supplier and component data for use in objective supplier evaluations, qualification, and selection processes
4. Component Engineer Job Summary
- Team Collaboration: Collaborate with Knoxville and Shenzhen engineering teams to identify and qualify EOL “End of Life” components
- Data Analysis: Provide test data for review and approval
- Component Identification: Identify alternate components and perform all required tests and other standards to address component shortages
- Inventory Management: Maintain both critical component and component platform lists by adding and archiving items
- Documentation Management: Create and manage qualification documents for both critical component and component platforms
- Supplier Qualification: Qualify alternate parts and suppliers to support multi-source cost productivity initiatives
- Component Evaluation: Evaluate and qualify new components and their respective suppliers to support Customer Centered Product Design
- Specification Writing: Write component/test specifications that are used by Supply Chain, Engineering, and Risk Management
- Support and Reporting: Support Engineering and Documentation teams to provide details and reports supporting the bill of material development and change orders
- Test Equipment Utilization: Utilize common test equipment to collect key electrical and mechanical data (i.e. Oscilloscope, Network Analyzer, Signal Generator, and Spectrum Analyzer)
- Specialized Equipment Utilization: Utilize specialized equipment of RSC design including Automated Test Equipment (ATE)
5. Component Engineer Roles
- Embedded Software Design: Design or assist in the design of software planning, embedded software design, and C/C++ embedded software development.
- RIA Development: Design or assist in the design and development of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) using Adobe Flex and other technologies.
- FPGA and ASIC Design: Provide FPGA and digital ASIC design services or assistance to product development groups at ADTRAN.
- Problem Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot customer-generated problem reports and/or regulatory compliance failures.
- System Architecture Development: Help develop system, hardware, and/or software architecture.
- Test Plan Development: Assist DVT and PQ test resources on test plan development.
- Component Roadmap Tracking: Track the multiple critical component roadmaps.
- Failure Analysis Facilitation: Facilitate vendor and 3rd party failure analysis.
- Component Technology Expertise: Recognized as a TTI-wide expert resource for component application and technology, for their responsible component commodities.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate with design engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers.