What does a senior electrical design engineer do?
A senior electrical design engineer specializes in designing and developing small and large-scale electrical systems and structures. They may work in different industries such as telecommunications, power generation, and even manufacturing. Their duties typically include identifying and meeting the needs of clients or companies, producing and presenting drafts and diagrams, managing budgets and schedules, and establishing guidelines for a smooth and safe workflow. Above all, as a senior engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to fellow engineers, all while implementing the company's safety regulations and policies.
Senior electrical design engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior electrical design engineer resumes:
- Manage the PCB layout, PCB fabrication, procurement, assembly, and verification of all boards and flex.
- Develop tools using Perl script to automate integration/verification process.
- Assist with firmware development base in VHDL and preform complete FPGA verification and checkout at the unit level.
- Code the VHDL design, direct the PCB design and assembly, and perform integration and testing.
- Generate AutoCAD drawings for QC and assembly.
- Complete construction documents with the use of AutoCAD.
- Design HV-CRT curve tracer using readily available parts and LabView.
- Design cabling, grounding, filter connector and shielding system to minimize EMI.
- Design and develop a high-performance , 16ch RF coil (phase array antenna).
- Complete the design and perform UL approval testing for a bed to sell on the international market.
- Improve RF capabilities of products through use of patch type of antenna which improve gain and increase range.
- Present a CDR and design four Altera 7526 and three 9320 FPGAs using VHDL and schematic capture tools.
- Analyze and resolve with theoretical and practical solutions for EMI, radiate and conductive emission issues with complex communications.
- Re-Design module and FPGA to decrease circuit card assembly production cost by $10K and system cost by $70K.
- Design for, and provide engineering assistance in attaining agency certification and approval (UL, CSA, EU, etc.
Senior electrical design engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Senior Electrical Design Engineers are proficient in Electrical Design, RF, and PCB. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Electrical Design Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Electrical Design, 8%
Involved in complete electrical design for retrofit of existing 480V secondary distribution systems and integration of new equipment.
- RF, 6%
Developed a computer program to simulate EM fields, allowing RF array SNR optimization and significantly reducing prototyping time.
- PCB, 5%
Managed the PCB layout, PCB fabrication, procurement, assembly, and verification of all boards and flex.
- FPGA, 5%
Re-designed module and FPGA to decrease circuit card assembly production cost by $10K and system cost by $70K.
- Circuit Design, 4%
Performed analog and digital circuit design of products and systems for industrial and military applications.
- Design Development, 4%
Scheduled performance of the required design development, ensuring that projects have adequate resources to meet their goals.
Common skills that a senior electrical design engineer uses to do their job include "electrical design," "rf," and "pcb." You can find details on the most important senior electrical design engineer responsibilities below.
Concentration. The most essential soft skill for a senior electrical design engineer to carry out their responsibilities is concentration. This skill is important for the role because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, a senior electrical design engineer resume shows how their duties depend on concentration: "designed system monitor systems using abb plc's and including data concentration and climatecontrols. "
Initiative. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling senior electrical design engineer duties is initiative. The role rewards competence in this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake." According to a senior electrical design engineer resume, here's how senior electrical design engineers can utilize initiative in their job responsibilities: "provided functional initiative leadership as well as cross-functional team leader and project management support. "
Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of senior electrical design engineers is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday senior electrical design engineer duties, as "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "presented a cdr and designed four altera 7526 and three 9320 fpgas using vhdl and schematic capture tools. "
Writing skills. For certain senior electrical design engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "writing skills." The day-to-day duties of a senior electrical design engineer rely on this skill, as "electrical and electronics engineers develop technical publications related to equipment they develop, including maintenance manuals, operation manuals, parts lists, product proposals, and design methods documents." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what senior electrical design engineers do: "developed test fixtures with stepper motors based on arduino boards, writing the firmware in c, and then building them. "
Math skills. A commonly-found skill in senior electrical design engineer job descriptions, "math skills" is essential to what senior electrical design engineers do. Senior electrical design engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." You can also see how senior electrical design engineer duties rely on math skills in this resume example: "performed advanced lighting and machine vision research and development to improve inspection process for new cell geometry for major battery manufacturer. "
The three companies that hire the most senior electrical design engineers are:
- Black & Veatch50 senior electrical design engineers jobs
- Raytheon Technologies36 senior electrical design engineers jobs
- Power Services Incorporated
14 senior electrical design engineers jobs
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Compare different senior electrical design engineers
Senior electrical design engineer vs. Engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior electrical design engineers and engineer. For instance, senior electrical design engineer responsibilities require skills such as "electrical design," "fpga," "circuit design," and "design development." Whereas a engineer is skilled in "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineers tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $97,672. In contrast, senior electrical design engineers make the biggest average salary, $125,118, in the automotive industry.engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than senior electrical design engineers. In fact, engineers are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Senior electrical design engineer vs. Consulting engineer
A consulting engineer is an individual who aids in the planning, designing, and construction of a project from the public and private clients. Consulting engineers are required to advise on the best component suitable according to the needs of their clients. They can manage the project by coordinating with designers, architects, and relevant persons who have commissioned the project. They may incorporate green sustainable energy solutions based on the demands of their clients. Consulting engineers must also conduct a feasibility study and prepare the estimated cost for the project.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real senior electrical design engineer resumes. While senior electrical design engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "electrical design," "design development," "firmware," and "mentor graphics," consulting engineers use skills like "java," "working independently," "c #," and "linux."
Consulting engineers earn a lower average salary than senior electrical design engineers. But consulting engineers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $99,126. Additionally, senior electrical design engineers earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $125,118 annually.consulting engineers earn similar levels of education than senior electrical design engineers in general. They're 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior electrical design engineer vs. Field engineer
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior electrical design engineer is likely to be skilled in "electrical design," "pcb," "fpga," and "circuit design," while a typical field engineer is skilled in "customer service," "customer satisfaction," "azure," and "osha."
Field engineers make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $83,650. On the other hand, senior electrical design engineers are paid the highest salary in the automotive industry, with average annual pay of $125,118.When it comes to education, field engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to senior electrical design engineers. In fact, they're 6.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior electrical design engineer vs. Staff engineer
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Types of senior electrical design engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
