Staff Electrical Components QA Engineer

Generac is seeking a Staff Electrical Components Quality Engineer with a focus on Wire-Wound and Magnetics to join our growing Generac team. This role is responsible for ensuring the selection, quality, reliability, and performance of electronic components used across Generac’s energy products. The successful candidate will work with electrical design team and support in component selection, their in-circuit performance verification, lead supplier qualification activities, and manage the technical aspects of assigning electronic commodities. This includes conducting process audits, driving root cause analysis, and resolving supplier-related quality issues. This position requires a strong passion for delivering high-quality, defect-free components and subassemblies, ensuring they meet design specifications and support the reliable manufacture of final assemblies.

This role will require flexible work hours, including night meetings, in order to work with offshore supply locations in different time zones. It will also include up to 30% travel of which some % may be international.

This position is preferable located onsite in South Portland, ME (alternate onsite locations- Waukesha, WI or N. Billerica, MA or possible Reno NV)

Major Responsibilities

• Participate in design reviews with the electrical engineering team, contributing to the development and validation of electrical systems, including schematics, PCB layouts, and wiring diagrams for solar and battery energy storage applications.
• Utilize circuit simulation tools such as LTspice to analyze and validate designs, ensuring component selection meets performance, reliability, and regulatory requirements.
• Own qualification and technical evaluation of electronic components, including MOSFETs, PCBs, magnetics (wound components), discrete analog/digital components, relays, ICs, and interconnects (cables and connectors).
• Experience with magnetics design such as transformers, inductors and chokes with knowledge of analyzing core materials, winding configurations and losses.
• Apply strong expertise in power electronics, including high-frequency AC–DC, DC–AC, and DC–DC conversion topologies.
• Analyze and interpret component datasheets to support optimal part selection, performance, and reliability.
• Serve as a key contributor in electrical design reviews, ensuring component reliability and alignment with system requirements.
• Review engineering drawings and specifications to verify quality requirements; identify and communicate gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Identify Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) components within BOMs and develop/execute PPAP plans in collaboration with suppliers.
• Define incoming (IQC) and outgoing (OQC) inspection requirements and acceptance criteria to ensure component quality.
• Lead supplier qualification and development activities: Evaluate and approve new suppliers, Conduct technical audits, Monitor and drive supplier performance
• Support DFMEA and DFM activities to enhance product reliability and manufacturability.
• Determine appropriate PPAP levels based on component complexity and manage supplier submissions to approval.
• Utilize statistical methods (SPC, Gage R&R) to monitor and control supplier manufacturing processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma tools: track performance metrics, timelines, and cost impact.
• Lead Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR) using 8D methodology, ensuring timely root cause analysis and closure.
• Ensure compliance with applicable quality, safety, and regulatory standards like NEC, UL, IEEE and IPC.
  
  

Minimum Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
  
  

Work Experience

• Hands on experience on electronic parts selection and qualification to ensure parts are qualified by design documents and selected test parameters.
• Experience working on electronic assembly environments with contract manufacturing where component qualification through Parts PPAP process and IQC was required.
• Demonstrated experience with Wire-Wound magnetic components (transformers, inductors).
• Candidate has hands on technical expertise in magnetics and manufacturing, not just quality oversight
  
  

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Must possess strong technical fluency in selecting power mosfets. Good technical fluency in other commodities reflected in the responsibilities list above will be a plus.
• Experience with eCAD tools like Altium, Eagle to design review an electrical design at schematic and layout levels.
• Solid quantitative skill set and the ability to analyze and communicate with well-supported data
• Proficient with the suite of Office Software, Quality and Statistical tools.
• An individual critical thinker to strategically align actions to needs and set goals for a technical team for success.
  
  

Preferred Job Requirements

Certification / License

• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles, Six Sigma green or black belt preferred.
• IEEE certification will be a plus.
  
  

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Power Mosfets design and manufacturing
• Magnetics design knowledge from manufacturing process and their applications
• Applied knowledge of Electrical circuits and participation in design reviews