Position Summary

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all hardware engineering activities across PCB design, embedded platform development, power and analog design, and signal integrity.
• Define and enforce hardware architecture standards, design methodologies, and best practices across the organization.
• Drive hardware simulation practices using SPICE, LTspice, and related tools to reduce design iterations and improve first-pass success rates.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance on complex design challenges involving Xilinx Zynq-7000, i.MX, and similar embedded SoC platforms.
• Collaborate closely with software, product management, and systems engineering teams to ensure hardware and software co-design alignment.
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, technologies, and design automation capabilities to improve team throughput and quality.
• Own hardware development schedules, resource allocation, and technical risk management across active programs.

• Mechanical Engineering and Hardware Certifications: oversee the manager responsible for enclosure and mechanical design, as well as product certification programs covering UL 61010-1, cUL, FCC, CE, and IEC 61850-3 environmental requirements.
• Quality Assurance and RMA: oversee the QA manager responsible for inspection processes, test coverage, manufacturing quality feedback, root cause analysis, corrective action, and field return reduction.
• Provides strategic direction, removes organizational obstacles, ensures cross-team alignment, and holds managers accountable to quality, schedule, and process improvement goals.

• Manage and develop a geographically distributed organization across US and international locations, spanning hardware engineering, mechanical and certifications, and QA/RMA functions.
• Build a high-performance culture grounded in engineering rigor, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Partner with the SVP and HR to develop workforce plans, succession pipelines, and talent acquisition strategies for hardware disciplines.
• Foster strong cross-functional relationships with software engineering, product management, technical support, and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 15 or more years of progressive hardware engineering experience, with at least 8 years in a formal engineering management or director-level role.
• Demonstrated depth in PCB design and layout for high-density, mixed-signal industrial products, with strong preference for Altium Designer experience
• Hands-on experience with embedded hardware platforms, specifically Xilinx Zynq-7000 or similar Zynq/SoC families, and NXP i.MX or comparable ARM-based processors.
• Proven expertise in analog and power supply design including DC/DC conversion, isolation, and protection circuitry for industrial environments.
• Proficiency with SPICE-based simulation tools (Altium, LTspice or equivalent) for circuit analysis and design validation, with experience embedding simulation into formal design review and gate criteria.
• Practical experience with FPGA development toolchains
• Experience performing reliability predictions using MIL-HDBK-217 or Telcordia SR-332, including Parts Count and Parts Stress Analysis
• Experience conducting FMEA and DFMEA at the component, board, and system level, including facilitation across cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing component obsolescence, approved vendor list (AVL) governance, and long-term BOM supportability for products with multi-year field warranty obligations
• Experience owning hardware design for testability (DFT) and production test strategy, including ICT, functional test, and boundary scan where applicable
• Familiarity with hardware certification programs including UL 61010-1, cUL product safety listing, FCC Part 15, and CE marking (EMC and LVD directives), sufficient to provide effective oversight of a certifications manager and team.
• Working knowledge of IEC 61850-3 environmental requirements for substation or similar industrial equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage engineering teams across multiple geographic locations and time zones.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a track record of delivering hardware products from concept through volume production.

• Experience designing ruggedized hardware for extended industrial temperature ranges (-40 to +85C) and harsh electrical environments.
• Familiarity with IEC 61000-4 series immunity requirements (ESD, electrical fast transient, surge, conducted RF) as applied to substation or industrial product design
• Experience with industrial networking hardware including Ethernet switches, serial communication interfaces, and fiber optic interconnects in substation or grid environments.
• Familiarity with IEC 62443 cybersecurity requirements as they apply to hardware design (secure boot, hardware security modules, TPM integration).
• Background in grid infrastructure, substation automation, energy management, power metering, or protection relay hardware.
• Experience with precision timing hardware including IEEE 1588 PTP hardware timestamping, GNSS receiver integration, and IRIG-B interfaces.
• Familiarity with NERC CIP physical and electronic security requirements as they relate to hardware design.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations in a contract manufacturing environment, including DFM reviews and production test strategy.

About NovaTech Automation