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Senior Hardware Design Engineer

San Jose, CA

Fairchild Imaging, headquartered in San Jose, California is a specialty image sensor design and manufacturing company with deep experience in developing leading edge performance CMOS image sensors. Our portfolio of image sensors can be found in many high-performance imaging applications like space exploration, medical x-ray, sciences, quantum computing, machine vision, low light, and 360 situational awareness.

Senior Hardware Design Engineer – Imaging Systems and High-Speed Electronics

We are seeking an experienced Senior Hardware Design Engineer to lead the design and development of advanced PCB-based imaging platforms for next-generation CMOS image sensors, board-level cameras, and X-ray camera systems. This role requires deep expertise in high-speed digital hardware design, signal integrity, sensor integration, and system-level optimization for imaging performance and interface interoperability.

In addition to hands-on technical leadership, this role may include responsibility for mentoring engineers, driving technical direction across projects, and contributing to team growth and engineering excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Team Development

  • Provide technical leadership across hardware development programs for imaging and sensor-based products.
  • Mentor and guide junior and mid-level hardware engineers in schematic design, PCB layout, debug methodologies, and engineering best practices.
  • Lead hardware design reviews, architecture discussions, and cross-functional technical decision-making.
  • Establish and promote engineering standards for high-speed PCB design, signal integrity, documentation, and validation.
  • Support project planning, task prioritization, resource estimation, and execution tracking for hardware development activities.
  • May directly manage a small team of hardware engineers, including:
  • goal setting and performance feedback,
  • career development and coaching,
  • hiring and onboarding support.

Board-Level Camera and CMOS Image Sensor Platforms

  • Architect, design, and validate high-performance PCBs for board-level camera systems supporting state-of-the-art CMOS image sensors.
  • Develop hardware platforms for:
  • image sensor bring-up and debugging,
  • electrical and optical characterization,
  • internal evaluation platforms,
  • customer demonstration systems.
  • Design interfaces and interconnects for high-speed sensor communication, including:
  • SLVS/SLVS-EC
  • MIPI CSI-2 / D-PHY / C-PHY
  • LVDS and other high-speed serial interfaces.
  • Collaborate with sensor, firmware, software, and applications teams to ensure successful sensor integration and system functionality.
  • Optimize board architecture, power delivery, grounding, clocking, and layout to maximize sensor performance and minimize electrical noise.
  • Evaluate and mitigate hardware design impacts on end-user image quality, including:
  • noise floor,
  • fixed pattern noise,
  • EMI/EMC coupling,
  • timing integrity,
  • power integrity artifacts.

X-ray Camera Electronics

  • Design and develop hardware platforms for X-ray camera systems integrating image sensors, detector electronics, and high-speed data interfaces.
  • Architect PCB solutions for sensor interface, power management, control electronics, and data acquisition subsystems.
  • Lead hardware development focused on robust USB-C interoperability, including:
  • USB-C orientation support,
  • enumeration and configuration reliability,
  • sustained high-bandwidth streaming performance,
  • cable and host interoperability robustness.
  • Analyze and debug signal integrity challenges across USB-C and other high-speed interfaces in demanding imaging applications.

Signal Integrity and Hardware Excellence

  • Serve as subject matter expert in PCB design for high-speed/high-density electronics.
  • Perform and guide best practices for:
  • signal integrity analysis,
  • impedance control,
  • differential pair routing,
  • return path management,
  • power integrity optimization.
  • Drive design reviews, schematic reviews, layout reviews, and hardware validation plans.
  • Support prototype bring-up, debug, failure analysis, and design iteration.

Required Qualifications

  • BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or related field.
  • 8+ years of hardware design experience, including complex multilayer PCB design.
  • Proven expertise designing high-speed digital systems and high-density PCBs.
  • Demonstrated technical leadership, mentoring, or team lead experience.
  • Strong hands-on experience with CMOS image sensor integration and board-level camera development.
  • Deep working knowledge of:
  • SLVS / SLVS-EC,
  • MIPI CSI-2,
  • USB-C,
  • LVDS and related high-speed interfaces.
  • Strong understanding of:
  • signal integrity,
  • power integrity,
  • EMI/EMC considerations,
  • high-speed layout constraints.
  • Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent.
  • Hands-on lab debugging skills using oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and related instrumentation.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior direct people management experience.
  • Experience with X-ray imaging systems or medical/industrial imaging electronics.
  • Familiarity with detector electronics, analog front ends, and low-noise sensor systems.
  • Experience supporting customer evaluation platforms and demo systems.
  • Knowledge of image quality characterization and hardware contributions to imaging artifacts.

Desired Attributes

  • Strong system-level thinking across hardware, firmware, optics, and software boundaries.
  • Ability to independently drive complex hardware projects from concept through validation.
  • Strong technical communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to balance hands-on engineering depth with technical leadership and team development.

 

Why Join Us

  • Work on cutting-edge imaging technology with real-world impact.
  • High level of technical ownership and influence on system architecture.
  • Collaborative, engineering-driven culture.
  • Competitive compensation and benefits package.

Fairchild Imaging provides our employees with a range in benefits offerings that includes:

  • 9/80 Schedule - You get every other Friday off!
  • Medical, Dental and Vision coverage with multiple plan offerings
  • Health Savings Account with an employer contribution annually
  • 401(k) retirement plans with Employer matching
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Generous Paid Time Off policy 

 

The compensation salary range for this role is $180,000 to $200,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, education, certifications, and knowledge.

 

Fairchild Imaging is an equal opportunity employer. We foster a culture where everyone has an opportunity to succeed regardless of their race, color, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, social or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, union membership, and political affiliation, or any other legally protected group.

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