OverviewVertex in Indianapolis, IN is seeking a
Senior Electrical Engineer II to lead electrical design and integration of linear electromechanical actuation systems. This role focuses on actuation from AC and DC power sources, contact and limit sensing, and position/rotation encoding, and will own subsystem-level architectures and deliverables for these functions.
The engineer will translate system requirements into robust hardware architectures, define and validate power and control schemes for linear actuators, and integrate sensing and encoding into higher-level assemblies. The role includes advanced modeling, testing, and verification for actuation subsystems, leadership of peer reviews, and close collaboration with mechanical, systems, and software/firmware teams to ensure integrated solutions.
Responsibilities- Lead electrical architecture and design for linear electromechanical actuation subsystems powered from AC and DC sources.
- Define power, control, and protection schemes for actuators, including inrush management, braking, and fault handling.
- Design and integrate drive electronics, including relay or solid-state switching, contactors, and motor/actuator driver circuits.
- Specify and integrate position and rotation encoding devices (encoders, resolvers, Hall sensors), including signal conditioning.
- Develop and maintain schematics and documentation for actuation subsystems using ECAD tools (e.g., Altium Designer).
- Plan and perform SPICE-based simulations and other analyses to validate performance, margin, and stability.
- Coordinate with PCB layout to ensure proper routing, isolation, creepage/clearance, and EMI/EMC behavior for actuation and sensing circuits.
- Lead lab bring-up and debug of actuation and sensing hardware, including structured fault isolation and RCCA.
- Support and help lead environmental and EMC/EMI testing for actuation subsystems; interpret results and drive corrective actions.
- Provide technical input to requirements and interface definitions; support system-level trade studies and design decisions.
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers working on actuation and sensing electronics.
QualificationsEducation & Experience- Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM field.
- Minimum 8 years of professional electrical engineering experience, or 6+ years with a relevant Master's degree (MSEE, MSCE, or similar).
- Demonstrated experience in:
- Linear electromechanical actuation driven from AC and DC power sources.
- Contact sensing (e.g., limit switches, interlocks, discrete feedback).
- Position and rotation encoding (e.g., incremental/absolute encoders, resolvers, Hall-effect sensing).
Required Skills- U.S. Citizen with ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.
- Deep knowledge of power system design for electromechanical actuation (AC mains, DC supplies, inrush, braking, protection, and fault handling).
- Experience designing and integrating actuator drive electronics (relay or solid-state switching, motor drives, contactors and associated control circuits).
- Experience implementing and interfacing position/rotation encoding devices with appropriate signal conditioning.
- Proficiency with ECAD tools (e.g., Altium Designer) and schematic capture for mixed-signal and power/control circuits.
- Proficiency in SPICE-based simulation of power and control circuits and correlation of models with lab test data.
- Working knowledge of EMI/EMC design for actuation and sensing circuits; experience with grounding, shielding, and filtering strategies.
- Competent in requirements allocation and traceability at the subsystem level; ability to define and clarify electrical and interface requirements.
- Experience leading lab bring-up and structured debug of actuation and sensing hardware, including RCCA for complex issues.
- Familiarity with environmental design and testing (thermal, vibration, shock) for actuators and associated electronics.
- Operates with high independence under project management guidance; able to define scope, plan work, and manage deliverables.
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills; able to coach mid-level and junior engineers.
- Excellent communication skills; able to present complex technical content in internal and customer technical reviews.
- Strong planning and organizational skills; able to anticipate cross-domain risks and define mitigation strategies.
Desired Skills- Experience with industrial or defense-grade actuators and motion control systems (e.g., linear actuators, servo systems, stepper/brushless drives).
- Experience with safety-critical actuation or interlock systems (e.g., emergency stop circuits, fault-tolerant architectures).
- Experience with standards relevant to environmental testing (e.g., DO-160 or MIL-STD-810).
- Experience with advanced sensing/encoding (resolver-to-digital converters, high-resolution encoders, multi-sensor fusion).
- Experience leading environmental and EMI/EMC test campaigns for actuation subsystems.
- Familiarity with model-based approaches (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink) for actuation system modeling and performance prediction.
- Experience contributing to proposals, technical estimates, or trade studies for motion-related systems.
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