What are the responsibilities and job description for the Hardware Engineer position at BCforward?
Job Title: Hardware Engineer IV
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Duration: Contract - 12 months
Job Description
We are seeking an experienced EE Validation Engineer to support hardware validation of next-generation smart glasses, working closely with the validation lead. The role focuses on monitoring validation progress, reviewing contract manufacturer (CM) test reports, analyzing failures, and coordinating with EE design partners to drive issues to closure. The engineer will guide CM engineers on measurement procedures and perform hands-on PI/SI debug when needed. The engineer will flag risks, recommend actions, and keep execution on track under the lead's direction.
Responsibilities:
- Issue Tracking & Closure (~60%): Review CM-generated validation reports, verify data quality, flag anomalies, and confirm correct pass/fail criteria.
- Analyze validation failures to distinguish measurement errors, design defects, or assembly quality issues and coordinate with EE design partners on root cause and corrective actions.
- Track open issues through resolution, validate fixes, maintain the issue tracker, provide status updates, and monitor progress against milestones with early escalation of risks.
- Facilitate communication across CM, EE design, layout, and firmware teams.
- CM Guidance (~20%): Develop clear, repeatable SOPs, train CM engineers on proper measurement techniques, define probe points and access strategy, and provide real-time guidance on unexpected results with defined acceptance criteria and escalation paths.
- Hands-On Measurement & Debug (~20%): Perform PI/SI measurements for first article bring-up and complex issues, validate CM setups via correlation, debug escalations, develop new methodologies and fixtures, and support prototype bring-up and characterization.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
- BS/MS in Electrical Engineering.
- 4 years of EE hardware validation with emphasis on power integrity and signal integrity.
- Proven data analysis, root cause identification, and cross-functional issue closure.
- Experience reviewing test reports for correctness, identifying gaps, and driving follow-ups.
- Ability to create clear SOPs and annotated procedures executed by others.
- Strong schematic reading and power distribution understanding with tracing of signal paths from schematics and datasheets.
- PCB layout review skills for probe access, SI/PI risk, and debug strategy.
- Expert use of lab instruments: high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, power rail probes, active/differential probes, current probes, spectrum analyzers.
- Experience with DC-DC converter characterization and high-speed digital signal measurements.
- Understanding of transmission line theory, impedance matching, and flex PCB SI challenges.
- Strong communication skills with clear explanations to CM teams and design partners.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience supporting CMs or ODMs in validation.
- Background with wearable, mobile, or IoT hardware in space-constrained, low-power designs.
- Familiarity with RF measurements such as BLE/WiFi TX power, sensitivity, and antenna return loss.
- Knowledge of proto/EVT/DVT/PVT build cycles and NPI environments.
- Experience with issue tracking systems and cross-functional coordination.
Technical Knowledge Required:
- Power Integrity: DC-DC characterization, power sequencing and timing, rail stability and current profiling, battery charging validation, PDN concepts including ground bounce, decoupling, and voltage droop.
- Signal Integrity: High-speed interfaces (MIPI CSI, SPI, I2C, I2S/PDM, USB, UART), signal quality metrics, crosstalk and reflections on flex/rigid-flex, clock quality and jitter, and protocol-to-physical correlation.
- Schematic & Layout: Multi-page schematic interpretation, power trees and routing, probe location identification, SI/PI risk review, and feedback for testability.
Tools & Environment:
- Instruments: Keysight/Tektronix oscilloscopes (≥1 GHz), power rail probes, active probes, SMUs, VNAs, protocol analyzers.
- Software: Scripting, schematic/layout viewers (Allegro, Altium, or equivalent), data analysis tools.
- Documentation: Google Workspace, Tasks/JIRA for issue tracking.
- Collaboration: Daily interaction with validation lead, CM engineers, EE design team, and firmware.