Product Design Engineer Jobs in Irvine, CA

Job Title: Product Design & Development Engineer

Job Overview:

We design and manufacture OBD automotive diagnostic products and measurement devices. Based at our US headquarters, you'll serve as the technical bridge between the R&D team (hardware and firmware) and global manufacturing partners. You'll drive products from early prototypes to mass production.

Hands-on circuits need a broad working grasp of electrical design to manage vendors, collaborate internationally, and validate products to global standards.

Role Overview:

1. Conceptualization & Design

Translate market requirements and user feedback into detailed mechanical or electrical architecture using CAD software.

Core Tasks

• Work with Product/Marketing to finalize specs, review block diagrams, schematics, and enclosure concepts.
• Manage overseas vendors for PCB layout and mechanical tooling fabrication.

Required Technical Skills

• Technical Literacy: Sufficient understanding of schematics and system architectures (MCU/SoC, power, wireless) to bridge conversations between R&D and vendors.
• ECAD Tools: EDA software (Altium, Allegro, or OrCAD) to review and verify multi-layer PCB layouts.

2. Prototyping

Build, test, and troubleshoot prototypes to validate form, fit, and function.

Core Tasks

• Manage prototype evolution, PCBA, and tooling samples.
• Diagnose functional or mechanical-electrical issues.

Required Technical Skills

• Lab Equipment: Oscilloscopes, multimeters, and power supplies to evaluate prototypes.
• FFF Validation: Checking mechanical tolerances, enclosure alignment, button feel, light leakage, and structural integrity.
• Firmware/Scripting: Basic flashing and scripting to run diagnostic tests on functional prototypes.

3. Design for Manufacturing

Optimize parts for scalable production — balancing material selection, tooling integration, and assembly efficiency.

Core Tasks

• Act as the technical gatekeeper of all R&D design freeze to overseas mass production.
• Optimize BOM/component selection with IC vendors.

Required Technical Skills

• Component & Supply Chain: Component sizing/packaging (SMD, BGA, QFN) and lifecycle assessment (lead times, second sourcing, EOL risks).

4. Testing & Validation

Conduct rigorous product testing (structural, thermal, or performance) and oversee regulatory compliance and safety certifications.

Core Tasks

• Execute hardware and mechanical validation (environmental, thermal, electrical limits) and reliability testing (mechanical stress, drop, vibration, IP rating).
• Partner with international certification bodies to prepare products for global market release.

Required Technical Skills

• Hardware Validation: HVT protocols (thermal profiling, stress testing, power consumption analysis).
• Mechanical Reliability: Reliability standards (drop, impact, thermal cycling, environmental chamber testing).
• Regulatory Compliance: EMI/EMC testing fundamentals and global standards (CE, FCC, UL).

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration (The Global Bridge)

Partner with industrial design, marketing, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to bring products to market.

Core Tasks

• Sync across the R&D team 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.
• Serve as the central authority for Engineering Change Orders (ECO) on hardware and tooling/mold modifications.

Required Technical Skills:

• Engineering Document Control: 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).

Qualifications

• 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.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

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

Ability to Commute:

• Irvine, CA 92614 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

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

Work Location: In person