WHAT DOES A ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER DO?

Published: Dec 31, 2024 - The Electrical Design Engineer collaborates with clients to customize system specifications, oversees design and testing phases, and maintains necessary certifications. This role includes streamlining communication with production teams and coordinating with mechanical designers and suppliers. Staying updated on regulations and solving technical challenges are also key responsibilities.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Electrical Design Engineer

1. Electrical Design Engineer Duties

  • Client Meetings: Attending meetings with clients to discuss bespoke build specifications.
  • System Design: Designing the complete electrical system.
  • System Testing: Testing and measuring the performance of electrical systems.
  • Design Communication: Communicating the designs and drawings to the workshop.
  • Colleague Liaison: Liaising with the mechanical design colleagues.
  • Document Management: Receiving and filing all relevant certification documents.
  • Final Testing: Final testing and setting up in the workshop.
  • Regulation Updates: Keeping up to date with the latest regulations.
  • Problem Solving: Solving complex problems and undertaking research.
  • Supplier Liaison: Liaising with suppliers and clients.
  • System Modification: Recommending modifications for systems.

2. Electrical Design Engineer Details

  • Facility Evaluation: Evaluate existing facilities and building electrical systems including distribution equipment, premises wiring, and utility supply infrastructure to inform PV System Design.
  • PV System Design: Design PV system electrical components including selecting system equipment, performing electrical calculations, and determining interconnection with utility and/or existing facility electrical system.
  • AutoCAD Drawing: Assemble system drawing sets in AutoCAD for purposes of bidding, permitting, and construction in accordance with ENA’s design standards and methodology.
  • Materials Preparation: Prepare a Bill of Materials for projects to include equipment from system design.
  • Compliance Coordination: Coordinate with local jurisdictions and utilities to confirm compliance with applicable codes and to secure necessary permits and interconnection approval.
  • Documentation: Document completed installations for client as-built drawings for purposes of operations and maintenance.
  • Site Surveying: Regularly travel to perform site surveys throughout which will include working at heights, roof inspection, and working in proximity to AC and DC electrical components to inspect a building’s roof, structure, and electrical system.
  • Regulatory Monitoring: Remain up-to-date on new technologies and regulatory conditions including building codes, fire codes, utility requirements, vendor qualifications, industry best practices, safety standards, and relevant standards development.
  • Team Oversight: Oversee and reviews the work of junior team members.

3. Electrical Design Engineer Responsibilities

  • Embedded Systems Design: Design and validate embedded systems based on ARM architectures, running RTOS or Android.
  • Motor Control Development: Develop motor control modules that employ sophisticated algorithms to drive motors ranging from several watts to 5kW in power.
  • Behavior Simulation Control: Control speed, torque, and power based on simulated behavior of real-world training equipment.
  • Power Supply Design: Design various power supply systems that include DC/DC, AC/DC, low and high-power capabilities.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Take new products through full regulatory compliance certifications and debug and update designs to achieve compliance with emission standards, safety regulations, environmental requirements.
  • CAD Utilization: Use multiple different CAD tools to capture schematics, guide layout design, and prepare full design documentation necessary for manufacturing.
  • Design Maintenance: Maintain existing designs, debug and solve problems and issues reported from the field.
  • Supplier Collaboration: Work with third-party suppliers on specialized designs of antennas, RF components, etc., where the schedules or resources do not warrant an in-house design.
  • Team Participation: Participate in design reviews and be part of larger teams as needed on different projects

4. Electrical Design Engineer Accountabilities

  • Wiring Lifecycle Management: Perform drawings of an airplane wiring and manage its complete lifecycle up to final approval and production.
  • Detailed Drawing: Perform detailed drawings of the wiring (wiring diagram, bundles drawings, and test reports) using Autocad and WCS.
  • Drawing Release: Releasing all the Drawings through the Work Flow process until final approval.
  • Drawing Update: Updating the drawing as necessary regarding production remarks/requests.
  • Circuit Design: Design and development of mixed signal, analog & digital circuits for new products.
  • Sensor Circuit Design: Design low noise accuracy sensor conditioning, amplification, and digitization circuits.
  • Control Circuit Design: Design valve and pump control circuits.
  • Hardware Development: Develop hardware interfaces for USB, wireless communications, and various industrial protocols.
  • Component Specification: Specify and select microcontrollers and other board level components.
  • PCB Layout: Perform schematic capture and PCB layout.

5. Electrical Design Engineer Functions

  • Customer Requirements Understanding: Work in conjunction with Sales to understand Customer technical requirements, including directly interfacing with the Customer.
  • Modeling and Drawing: Use EPLAN Pro Panel and Harness proD electrical schematic software to create 2D and 3D models and drawings of products to meet Customer specified requirements.
  • BOM Development: Develop and release BOMs to allow purchase and production control of parts and assemblies.
  • Design Standardization: Standardize designs as much as possible, and where practicable, encourage Customers to utilize standardized parts/systems.
  • Record Organization: Organize and maintain design/engineering records.
  • Change Compliance: Comply with the engineering change process when technical updates.
  • Deadline Management: Work to time deadlines to ensure adequate drawing/technical information is available to permit efficient manufacture to the intended design configuration.
  • Test Protocol Development: Specify and develop test protocols for the production of manufactured parts.
  • Research: Research new materials, designs, and methods/equipment for production.
  • Part Selection: Specify and select cost-effective proprietary parts from suppliers.
  • Supplier Specification: Specify supplier requirements when customized parts.
  • Prototype Testing: Perform physical testing on engineering prototypes/production build.
  • Code Compliance: Ensure components and assemblies follow applicable electrical codes and industry standards.
  • Problem Resolution: Resolve technical difficulties identified during production build, during customer usage/commissioning or through failure in the field, and update design records to avoid re-occurrence in the future.
Relevant Information
What Does An Electrical Designer Do?