Full Job Description
The Role
We are seeking a driven Hardware Engineer - MCU to join our Semiconductor Center of Excellence. In this role you will own the microcontroller (MCU) hardware engineering deliverables that bring our in-house ECU designs to life-from I/O and resource mapping through application schematic support, component-level safety analysis, and hands-on board bring-up and validation. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with ECU design, software, functional safety, and PCB layout teams, and collaborate directly with silicon suppliers to ensure our MCU-based platforms are designed right the first time.
Responsibilities
• Own MCU I/O and resource mapping for in-house ECU designs, reserving and allocating pins across GPIO, ADC, eMIOS/PWM, SPI, I2C, LIN, and other peripherals, and optimizing use of I/O expanders and ADC MUXes to meet system requirements.
• Develop and maintain MCU application deliverables including the HSIS signal matrix, pin-mapping documentation, reference schematics, and symbol/library content, ensuring alignment with requirements and electrical design intent.
• Lead component-level Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) for MCU sub-circuits (power, crystal, MCU-to-networking, MCU-to-PMIC, MCU-to-Driver, etc.) and ensure findings roll up correctly into ECU (system) level DFMEA.
• Establish and execute electrical characterization and functional test plans for MCUs and supporting silicon including board bring-up, voltage-rail and ADC verification, and interface validation to confirm design intent ahead of formal qualification.
• Perform hands-on debug and validation using tools such as oscilloscopes and JTAG/debug probes on ARM cores, including GPIO toggling and register-level verification.
• Define MCU-to-peripheral interfaces (PMIC, ethernet switch, I/O expander, etc) and support change-control activities, coordinating design changes across suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with ECU hardware design, HWIO/software, functional safety, Power, and PCB layout teams to define specifications and align on architectural and system-level requirements.
• Develop clear component specifications within your scope to enable timely sourcing decisions aligned with electronic development and vehicle program milestones.
• Partner with silicon and tooling suppliers (e.g., MCU vendors and analysis partners) to resolve technical issues and align on requirements.
• Stay current with MCU product portfolios, supply-chain dynamics, and emerging technology roadmaps.
Qualifications - Required
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in hardware design and development, including component- or board-level ownership.
• Knowledge of microcontroller subsystems and IP blocks, including processor cores, memory, analog/ADC, communication peripherals (SPI, I2C, UART/LIN, CAN, ethernet), timers/PWM, and GPIO.
• Demonstrated experience with MCU I/O and resource mapping, pin planning, and translating system/connector requirements into a hardware pin definition.
• Hands-on experience with circuit design and analysis, including worst-case analysis, DFMEA, circuit simulation tools, and schematic capture tools (e.g., Mentor Graphics).
• Experience with board bring-up, electrical characterization, and hardware validation of MCUs or similar silicon.
• Hands-on experience with hardware debugging tools such as oscilloscopes and JTAG/debug probes.
• Exceptional collaboration and teamwork skills; proven ability to work across functional and organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously, including planning, execution, and monitoring.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to learn quickly.
Qualifications - Preferred
• Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with automotive-grade MCUs (e.g., NXP S32K, Infineon AURIX, or similar) and their supporting PMICs.
• Familiarity with automotive functional safety (ISO 26262) and component/ECU DFMEA methodology.
• Experience with debug/validation toolchains such as Lauterbach TRACE32 and ARM Cortex-M/R core bring-up.
• Familiarity with ECU-level hardware integration, HWIO software interaction, and requirements-driven design flows.
• Experience contributing to hardware design processes, guidelines, or tools that enable other engineers.
• Proven track record supporting ECU hardware development from requirements definition through validation.
#LI-JK3
