Alpha Elevator Control, Inc.

Location:

Sacramento, CA Job Type:

Full-time Salary:

$130,000 - $170,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications About Alpha Elevator Control Alpha Elevator Control ("AEC") in an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of advanced control systems for hydraulic and traction elevators. Our products combine embedded electronics, firmware, communications, diagnostics, and field-serviceable hardware to provide reliable, non-proprietary control solutions for the elevator industry. We are seeking an experienced Senior Hardware Design Engineer to play a key role in the design and development of the electronic hardware used in our current and next-generation elevator controller products. This position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys owning hardware designs from concept through production and working closely with firmware engineers, software developers, manufacturing, technical support, and field personnel. Position Summary The Senior Hardware Design Engineer will be responsible for the architecture, schematic design, PCB development, prototyping, testing, troubleshooting, and production support of embedded electronic systems used in elevator controllers and related products. The successful candidate will have substantial hands-on experience designing commercial or industrial electronic products and taking PCB assemblies from initial concept through production. Key Responsibilities Design and develop embedded electronic hardware and printed circuit board assemblies for elevator control systems and related products. Develop system-level and board-level hardware architectures based on product and functional requirements. Create detailed electrical schematics and oversee or perform PCB layout. Select microcontrollers, processors, memory, communications devices, power supplies, sensors, interface components, and other electronic components. Design analog and digital circuitry, including signal conditioning, I/O interfaces, power regulation, communications interfaces, and protection circuitry. Develop hardware that interfaces with embedded firmware and participate in defining hardware/firmware interfaces. Work closely with firmware engineers during board bring-up, integration, debugging, and product development. Design and support communications interfaces such as CAN bus, RS-485, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth, or similar technologies as required by product designs. Develop robust circuitry appropriate for industrial environments, including protection against electrical noise, transients, ESD, EMI/EMC issues, and power disturbances. Conduct prototype board bring-up, functional testing, troubleshooting, verification, and validation. Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, and other laboratory equipment to diagnose and validate designs. Develop test procedures and assist in designing fixtures or methods for engineering and production testing. Perform design reviews, failure analysis, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action investigations. Review existing hardware designs and recommend improvements to reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, performance, and cost. Design products with consideration for Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Test (DFT), component availability, and long-term product support. Work with PCB fabricators, contract manufacturers, component suppliers, and other vendors as needed. Create and maintain engineering documentation including schematics, bills of material, design specifications, test documentation, engineering change documentation, and revision histories. Support component substitutions and redesigns resulting from component obsolescence or supply-chain constraints. Work with manufacturing and quality personnel to resolve production-related hardware issues. Assist technical support personnel in diagnosing complex field hardware issues when engineering-level support is required. Participate in the development and testing of new elevator controller platforms and enhancements to existing products. Support product compliance and certification activities involving applicable elevator, electrical safety, EMC, and electronic equipment requirements. Mentor other engineers or technical personnel when appropriate and contribute to the development of sound engineering practices and design standards. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline. Approximately 7+ years of professional hardware design experience, including significant responsibility for PCB-based electronic product development. Demonstrated experience taking electronic hardware products from concept through schematic design, PCB development, prototyping, debugging, validation, and production. Strong knowledge of analog and digital circuit design. Strong experience designing microcontroller- or processor-based embedded systems. Experience designing multilayer printed circuit boards. Proficiency with professional schematic capture and PCB design tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence/OrCAD, KiCad, or comparable platforms. Experience with embedded communications protocols and interfaces such as

CAN, RS-485, SPI, I

²C, UART, Ethernet, USB, or similar technologies. Strong understanding of power supply design, voltage regulation, signal integrity, grounding, filtering, isolation, and circuit protection. Experience designing reliable electronics for electrically noisy or industrial environments. Working knowledge of EMI/EMC and ESD design principles. Strong hands-on laboratory troubleshooting and debugging skills. Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, digital multimeters, bench power supplies, and related electronic test equipment. Ability to read and interpret technical specifications, component datasheets, schematics, and engineering documentation. Experience with component selection, BOM management, component lifecycle issues, and alternate-part qualification. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to document designs clearly and participate effectively in formal engineering design reviews. Ability to work effectively with firmware, software, mechanical, manufacturing, quality, and technical-support teams. Other Valued Qualifications The following experience is desirable but is not required: Experience designing electronic controls for elevators, industrial automation, motor controls, or other safety-critical industrial equipment. Prior experience with elevator controller systems or elevator industry standards. Experience with CAN-based distributed control systems. Experience designing circuitry that interfaces with variable frequency drives (VFDs), motors, encoders, contactors, relays, valves, or other industrial equipment. Experience designing isolated digital and analog I/O for industrial control applications. Experience with safety-related or redundant control circuitry. Familiarity with functional safety concepts and failure-mode analysis. Experience with Bluetooth or other wireless communication technologies. Experience with LCD/display interfaces and embedded user-interface hardware. Knowledge of

ASME A17.1/CSA B44, ASME A17.5, UL

requirements, or other standards applicable to elevator or industrial-control equipment. Experience supporting regulatory testing, certification, EMC testing, or safety-agency approvals. Experience with SPICE or other circuit simulation tools. Experience with version control and engineering change-management systems. Experience developing automated hardware test systems or production test fixtures. Experience working directly with PCB manufacturers and electronic contract manufacturers. Familiarity with embedded C/C++ or the ability to read firmware code sufficiently to assist with hardware/firmware debugging. Experience with FPGA, CPLD, or programmable logic design. What We Are Looking For We are looking for more than someone who can lay out a circuit board. The successful candidate will be an experienced hardware engineer who understands how the entire electronic system works, and can take ownership of a design from initial requirements through production. The right person will be comfortable moving between schematic design, component selection, PCB development, laboratory troubleshooting, firmware integration, manufacturing issues, and field problems. Because AEC's products operate in real-world industrial environments and are expected to remain serviceable for many years, reliability, practical design, documentation, and long-term maintainability are important parts of the role. We value engineers who are curious, methodical, hands-on, and willing to investigate a problem until its root cause is understood. Compensation The anticipated base salary range for this position is $130,000 to $170,000 per year. Actual compensation will depend on factors such as relevant hardware-design experience, technical expertise, education, industry experience, and demonstrated ability to independently develop and support complex embedded electronic products.

Pay:

$130,000.00 - $170,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Parental leave Retirement plan Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person