Product Design & Development Engineer

Innova Electronics Corp, anchored at its US headquarters in Irvine, seeks a Product Design & Development Engineer to bridge hardware and firmware R&D with global manufacturing. This onsite role centers on driving products from early prototyping through mass production, coordinating cross-functional teams and international vendors to ensure design intent translates into scalable, reliable hardware.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Product and Marketing to finalize specifications, review block diagrams, schematics, and enclosure concepts.
• Oversee overseas vendors for PCB layout and mechanical tooling fabrication.
• Direct prototype evolution, PCBA development, and tooling sample management.
• Diagnose functional or electromechanical issues across hardware and firmware.
• Serve as the technical gatekeeper for R&D design freezes transitioning to overseas mass production.
• Optimize BOM and component selections in collaboration with IC vendors.
• Plan and execute hardware and mechanical validation, including environmental, thermal, and electrical limits, plus reliability testing (mechanical stress, drop, vibration, IP rating).
• Partner with international certification bodies to prepare products for global market release.
• Synchronize timelines across R&D and overseas factories to align schedules and monitor the critical path to mass production.
• Coordinate with Marketing, Supply Chain, and Industrial Design to align product launch, component sourcing, and design intent.
• Act as the central owner for Engineering Change Orders on hardware and tooling/mold modifications.

Requirements

• Technical literacy: solid understanding of schematics and system architectures (MCU/SoC, power, wireless) to bridge conversations between R&D and vendors.
• ECAD Tools: proficiency with Altium, Allegro, or OrCAD to review and verify multi-layer PCB layouts.
• Lab equipment: experience using oscilloscopes, multimeters, and power supplies to evaluate prototypes.
• FFF Validation: ability to check mechanical tolerances, enclosure alignment, button feel, light leakage, and structural integrity.
• Firmware/Scripting: basic flashing and scripting to run diagnostic tests on functional prototypes.
• Component & Supply Chain: knowledge of component sizing/packaging (SMD, BGA, QFN) and lifecycle assessment (lead times, second sourcing, EOL risks).
• Hardware Validation: familiarity with HVT protocols (thermal profiling, stress testing, power consumption analysis).
• Mechanical Reliability: awareness of reliability standards (drop, impact, thermal cycling, environmental chamber testing).
• Regulatory Compliance: fundamentals of EMI/EMC testing and global standards (CE, FCC, UL).
• Engineering Document Control: experience managing BOMs, Gerber files, and releasing Manufacturing Data Packages.
• Technical Vendor & Project Management: milestone tracking (Gantt charts) and coordinating root-cause analysis with SMT/tooling factories on assembly, out-of-spec, or cosmetic defects (sink marks, flashing).
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with at least 5 years’ experience.
• Strong communicator able to align cross-functional, international teams across time zones.
• Willing to travel internationally; English/Chinese bilingual is a strong plus.

Technologies

• Altium
• Allegro
• OrCAD

Compensation

USD 85,000 - 90,000 per year

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location

• In person

Ability to Commute

• Irvine, CA 92614 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate

• Irvine, CA 92614: Relocate before starting work (Required)