WHAT DOES AN ELECTRONICS DESIGN ENGINEER DO?

Updated: June 02, 2025 - The Electronics Design Engineer delivers innovative electrical component solutions aligned with customer needs and enterprise innovation strategies while ensuring design validation and compliance with industry standards. This position executes product development and documentation processes efficiently, focusing on cost, manufacturability, and integration optimization. The engineer enhances engineering efficiency through advanced research, mentoring, and the implementation of effective tools and techniques.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Electronics Design Engineer

1. Electronics Design Engineer Duties

  • Electronic Design and Engineering: Provide electronic design and engineering sustaining support for all product lines.
  • System Performance Analysis: Perform electronic board design review and analyze system performance.
  • Design/Redesign Support: Provide design/redesign support and testing where required.
  • System Performance Evaluation: Evaluate theoretical and actual system performance as related to electronics, to define system performance limitations.
  • Analytical Engineering: Provide analytical engineering required for improving performance.
  • Next-Generation Technology Design: Evaluation and design of next-generation Multiple Frequency resistivity technology.
  • System Design Review: Review, analyze, test, and evaluate electronic system design to identify key performance parameters (outputs) for each PCB and CPU.
  • Component Selection Evaluation: Review and evaluate component selection for each product line PCB, CPU, TX, and RX boards.
  • Test Process Development (PCB): Develop existing test processes for each PCB to enable consistent assessment before assembly.
  • Test Process Development (Production Line): Develop existing test processes for the production line assembly to ensure consistent tool build quality and performance.
  • Data and System Performance Evaluation: Evaluate data and system performance to provide repeatable tool assemblies.
  • Failure Investigation: Responsible for investigation, root cause determination, and reporting of all board and component failures.
  • Manufacturing Support: Support manufacturing and maintenance activities concerning product reliability and performance.
  • Product Support Documentation: Develop product support documentation such as test procedures, specifications, and failure analysis protocols.

2. Senior Electronics Design Engineer Overview

  • Electrical Product Design: Electrical Product Design and Development Engineering function job.
  • Team Leadership: Lead a dynamic team as well as hands-on design and development of the electrical product effectively and accurately.
  • Customer Requirements Translation: Translate customer requirements to technical specifications, and find cost-effective solutions with the latest technologies and components with an innovative spirit.
  • Schematic and PCB Layout Design: Complete high-quality schematic and PCB layout design, with full consideration of performance, cost, DFM, DFT, as well as regulatory compliance.
  • Design Verification and Improvement: Design verification and improvement through prototyping and EVT/PVT etc., and establish transferring to NPI engineer in the process.
  • Product Testing and Problem Solving: Fast response and problem-solving in product testing and design verification process.
  • Electrical Distribution Design: Design and sizing of the electrical distribution and cabinets of machines.
  • Robotic and Automation Development: Electrical development of automatic and robotic machines in cooperation with project managers, and mechanical and programming engineers.
  • Design Documentation: Write the design documents of equipment, such as functional analyses, risk analyses, test procedures, technical specifications for suppliers, etc.
  • Manufacturing Follow-up: Manufacture follow-up in workshops or on supplier's plants, technical problems management, and make up practical solutions.

3. Electronics Design Engineer Tasks

  • Design Reviews: Conduct and lead design reviews to ensure design robustness and intent meet customer expectations and requirements.
  • Electronics Design and Development: Contribute to the design, development, and testing of analog/digital electronics equipment, components, and systems.
  • Collaboration with Senior Engineers: Work directly with more senior engineers to develop new designs and solutions.
  • Safety and Regulation Compliance: Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, and systems to make sure they meet safety standards and applicable regulations.
  • Circuit Board Soldering and Assembly: Circuit board soldering, assembly, and debugging.
  • PCB Design: PCB design includes schematic capture, layout, and simulation tools.
  • Analog/Digital Circuit Design: Analog/digital circuit design is down to the component and discrete level.
  • Part Qualification and Approval: Work with the purchasing department to qualify and approve parts.
  • Schematic Capture and PCB Layout: Create schematic capture and PCB layout of analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuit cards.
  • Electronics Assembly and Debug: Assemble, bring up, and debug new electronic designs.
  • Test Plan Development: Develop test plans for design validation, test systems, and subsystems for design validation.

4. Electronics Design Engineer Roles

  • Customer Needs Analysis: Collect customer needs and deliver electrical component solutions to meet customer expectations.
  • Innovative Design Development: Develop innovative design to support enterprise innovation strategy and product line extension.
  • Solution Implementation: Implement solutions using a variety of technologies, systems, and development environments for diverse machine systems.
  • Cost and Manufacturability Design: Work with machine system lead on design for cost, manufacturability, test, and assembly/integration.
  • Design Verification and Validation: Define and execute electrical component design verification and validation plans.
  • Technical Communication: Communicate results through technical reports and presentations.
  • Product Development Documentation: Product development documentation per NPI process and APQP process.
  • Project Management and Mentorship: Drive projects efficiently and participate heavily as a value-added contributor and mentor in hardware development tools, techniques, and procedures.
  • Engineering Activities Management: Responsible for all electrical component engineers’ activities and completed the following quality.
  • Multitasking and Prioritization: Self-motivated and able to work on multiple projects simultaneously while balancing priorities.
  • Process Improvement Research: Research engineering processes and methods to improve engineering working efficiency.

5. Electronics Design Engineer Key Accountabilities

  • Team Management: Report directly to the Electronics and Electrical Design Section Manager as part of a group of over 40 other Electronics and Electrical Engineers.
  • Collaboration with NASA: Work directly with NASA Johnson Space Center and the Robotic Systems Technology Branch in designing the next generation of embedded motor control systems.
  • Robotic and Exploration Vehicle Design: Contribute directly to the design of the next-generation NASA robotic and exploration vehicle platforms.
  • Electrical System Design: Create new, integrated electrical system designs for embedded sensor-based motor controls, high-power motor drive systems, power distribution systems, and electromechanical power conversion for high-performance robot actuation.
  • Product Development Support: Support new designs from conception, analysis, and manufacturing, through to operational test and deployment.
  • Laboratory Work: Work in a laboratory environment, following standard operating procedures.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with cross-functional project teams to develop new products.
  • Product Prototyping: Design and prototype new product concepts.
  • Design Documentation: Document design with schematic drawings as well as supporting design documentation.
  • Laboratory Testing: Conduct laboratory tests of new conceptual designs.
Relevant Information
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