Senior Hardware Design Engineer - Imaging Systems and High-Speed ElectronicsWe are seeking an experienced
Senior Hardware Design Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced PCB-based imaging platforms for next-generation
CMOS image sensors, board-level cameras, and X-ray camera systems. This role requires deep expertise in high-speed digital hardware design, signal integrity, sensor integration, and system-level optimization for imaging performance and interface interoperability.
In addition to hands-on technical leadership, this role may include responsibility for mentoring engineers, driving technical direction across projects, and contributing to team growth and engineering excellence.
Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership and Team Development- Provide technical leadership across hardware development programs for imaging and sensor-based products.
- Mentor and guide junior and mid-level hardware engineers in schematic design, PCB layout, debug methodologies, and engineering best practices.
- Lead hardware design reviews, architecture discussions, and cross-functional technical decision-making.
- Establish and promote engineering standards for high-speed PCB design, signal integrity, documentation, and validation.
- Support project planning, task prioritization, resource estimation, and execution tracking for hardware development activities.
- May directly manage a small team of hardware engineers, including:
- goal setting and performance feedback,
- career development and coaching,
- hiring and onboarding support.
Board-Level Camera and CMOS Image Sensor Platforms- Architect, design, and validate high-performance PCBs for board-level camera systems supporting state-of-the-art CMOS image sensors.
- Develop hardware platforms for:
- image sensor bring-up and debugging,
- electrical and optical characterization,
- internal evaluation platforms,
- customer demonstration systems.
- Design interfaces and interconnects for high-speed sensor communication, including:
- SLVS/SLVS-EC
- MIPI CSI-2 / D-PHY / C-PHY
- LVDS and other high-speed serial interfaces.
- Collaborate with sensor, firmware, software, and applications teams to ensure successful sensor integration and system functionality.
- Optimize board architecture, power delivery, grounding, clocking, and layout to maximize sensor performance and minimize electrical noise.
- Evaluate and mitigate hardware design impacts on end-user image quality, including:
- noise floor,
- fixed pattern noise,
- EMI/EMC coupling,
- timing integrity,
- power integrity artifacts.
X-ray Camera Electronics- Design and develop hardware platforms for X-ray camera systems integrating image sensors, detector electronics, and high-speed data interfaces.
- Architect PCB solutions for sensor interface, power management, control electronics, and data acquisition subsystems.
- Lead hardware development focused on robust USB-C interoperability, including:
- USB-C orientation support,
- enumeration and configuration reliability,
- sustained high-bandwidth streaming performance,
- cable and host interoperability robustness.
- Analyze and debug signal integrity challenges across USB-C and other high-speed interfaces in demanding imaging applications.
Signal Integrity and Hardware Excellence- Serve as subject matter expert in PCB design for high-speed/high-density electronics.
- Perform and guide best practices for:
- signal integrity analysis,
- impedance control,
- differential pair routing,
- return path management,
- power integrity optimization.
- Drive design reviews, schematic reviews, layout reviews, and hardware validation plans.
- Support prototype bring-up, debug, failure analysis, and design iteration.
Required Qualifications- BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or related field.
- 8+ years of hardware design experience, including complex multilayer PCB design.
- Proven expertise designing high-speed digital systems and high-density PCBs.
- Demonstrated technical leadership, mentoring, or team lead experience.
- Strong hands-on experience with CMOS image sensor integration and board-level camera development.
- Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent.
- Hands-on lab debugging skills using oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and related instrumentation.
Preferred Qualifications- Prior direct people management experience.
- Experience with X-ray imaging systems or medical/industrial imaging electronics.
- Familiarity with detector electronics, analog front ends, and low-noise sensor systems.
- Experience supporting customer evaluation platforms and demo systems.
- Knowledge of image quality characterization and hardware contributions to imaging artifacts.
Fairchild Imaging provides our employees with a range in benefits offerings that includes:
- 9/80 Schedule - You get every other Friday off!
- Medical, Dental and Vision coverage with multiple plan offerings
- Health Savings Account with an employer contribution annually
- 401(k) retirement plans with Employer matching
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Generous Paid Time Off policy
The compensation salary range for this role is $180,000 to $200,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, education, certifications, and knowledge.
