Urgent Need: Hardware Developer in San Francisco, CA

Job Description: 

Qualifications (Skills & Experiences & Education)

·                Years of Relevant Experience: Minimum years of relevant experience needed to perform the job

·                10+ years of hardware engineering experience in automotive or embedded electronics development

Education RequiredDesired

·                Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field

·                Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field

Skills: General skills needed to perform the job

·                Strong problem-solving and debugging abilities

·                Excellent attention to detail and documentation

·                Clear and effective verbal and written communication

·                Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team

·                Strong organizational and time management skills

·                Specialized Skills: Knowledge or certifications unique to this role

RequiredDesired

·                Experience in design and development of ECUs or embedded electronic systems

·                Proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout tools

·                Experience with hardware bring-up, board-level debugging, and validation

·                Familiarity with automotive communication protocols: CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet

·                Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, power supplies)

·                Understanding of functional safety (ISO 26262) and EMI/EMC considerations•Knowledge of connected vehicle infotainment and communication software systems

·                Knowledge of DFMEA, DVP&R, and other automotive quality processes

·                Work Flexibility: Physical requirements, travel requirements, work schedule, etc.

·                Occasional travel may be required, less than 15%

Role Summary: Brief summary which describes nature and level of work

·                We are looking for a Hardware Engineer to join the Hardware Platform Development team at CARIAD. This role focuses on the design, development, validation, and support of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and related electrical/electronic hardware systems for next-generation vehicles.

·                The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in automotive hardware development, including board-level design, schematic/layout review, and system bring-up. This position collaborates closely with software engineers, validation teams, and suppliers to ensure robust, production-ready EE platforms.

Role Responsibilities: 

·                List essential functions in order of importance; include percentage of time spent performing each function (total should equal 100%)

·                Hardware Development – (80%)

·                Design and develop ECU hardware solutions in collaboration with cross-functional teams

·                Review and validate schematics, layouts, and component selections

·                Support hardware bring-up, system integration, and functional validation

·                Develop and maintain detailed hardware documentation (design specs, BOMs, schematics, test plans)

·                Work closely with software engineers to support low-level integration and debugging

·                Participate in failure analysis and root cause investigations

·                Interface with external suppliers and contract manufacturers on hardware builds

·                Ensure compliance with internal design standards, industry regulations, and automotive quality processes

·                Operational Management – (20%)

·                Assist with production and manufacturing test development for ECU hardware

·                Support prototype and pre-production builds, including rework and hardware modifications

·                Monitor and report on technical risks, delivery timelines, and quality issues

·                Contribute to team knowledge sharing and continuous improvement of development processes

·                Hardware development experience

·                Hardware development experience proficiency 4