Senior Product Engineer (Electrical Engineering & Embedded Systems)

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?

At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.

Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

Internal Title: Sr Product Engineer

Position Summary:                 

Responsible for supporting product lifecycle activities, including new product introduction, product transfer, and ongoing manufacturing operations. This role ensures product quality, yield, and compliance through engineering evaluation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement initiatives. Collaborates cross-functionally to drive process enhancements, cost optimization, and operational excellence, enabling smooth transition from design to production and sustaining high-performance standards throughout the product lifecycle.

Position Responsibilities:

Common Responsibilities:

• Support and drive product transfer into manufacturing.
• Perform data trending and analysis.
• Apply FMEA, DOE, and statistical analysis to optimize product quality and reduce costs.
• Drive process improvements, cost reduction, and product sustaining activities.
• Manage Engineering Change Request and Notifications (CRs and CNs), including updates to work instructions and test requirements.
• Support documentation: engineering drawings, BOMs, test reports, assembly procedures, and validation plans.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and operational excellence programs.
• Frequent cross-functional collaboration and occasional travel to other sites.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior staff.

Discipline-Specific Responsibilities:

Electrical Engineering and Embedded Systems

• Support embedded systems integration, programming, verification, and diagnostic activities during NPI, production ramp-up, and sustaining phases, ensuring successful deployment of hardware, firmware, and software releases.
• Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and resolution of embedded system issues involving hardware, firmware, communication interfaces, and programming processes across manufacturing, field returns, and customer escalations.
• Lead component lifecycle management for multiple projects, ensuring timely updates and accuracy in Altium Vault and database. Define best practices for component selection and obsolescence management.
• Develop embedded systems, electrical designs, schematics, and PCB layouts for current and new products.
• Collaborate with product development teams to ensure design compliance and manufacturability.
• Drive design reviews, risk assessments, and operational readiness reviews.
• Coordinate embedded system testing at module and product levels for smooth production deployment.
• Manage suppliers for PCA fabrication and testing methodologies, including ICT and FCT during development and mass production.
• Lead resolution of technical issues by performing troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and implementing corrective/preventive actions during NPI, production ramp-up, and Sustaining phases.
• Validate prototypes for compliance with specifications and regulatory standards such as EMC/EMI and safety requirements.
• Generate detailed documentation, including engineering drawings, BOMs, and validation plans.
• Mentor junior engineers in troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective/preventive actions during NPI, production ramp-up, and Sustaining phases.
• Drive improvements in NPI and Sustaining processes to enhance efficiency and quality.

Listed responsibilities are an essential, but not exhaustive list, of the usual duties associated with the position. Changes to individual responsibilities may occur due to business needs.

Position Requirements:

Electrical Engineering and Embedded Systems

• Strong understanding of embedded systems architecture, microcontrollers, peripheral interfaces, and communication protocols (e.g., I²C, SPI, UART, USB, Ethernet).
• Experience in embedded system bring-up, programming, debugging, and troubleshooting of hardware-firmware interactions during NPI, production ramp-up, and sustaining phases.
• Excellent working knowledge of embedded systems, circuit theory, and analog/digital electronics.
• Excellent knowledge of PCBA design and solid understanding of ICT/FCT and PCBA manufacturing processes.
• Excellent knowledge of Altium Designer or similar PCB design tools.
• Experience in EMC/EMI design and countermeasures.
• Advanced problem-solving techniques (FMEA, 5 Whys, 8D) and statistical engineering tools (DOE).
• Ability to lead technical discussions and interface with manufacturing and service organizations.
• Experience with LabView, Python, Visual Basic, SAP and PLM systems is a plus.
• Strong understanding of BOM structuring and Engineering Change Management.
• Hands-on experience with FPGA programming (VHDL/Verilog) and exposure to high-performance computing for data-intensive applications.
• Experience in FDA-regulated product development and life sciences/biotech industries preferred.
• Strong organizational and communication skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.

All listed requirements are deemed as essential functions to this position; however, business conditions may require reasonable accommodations for additional task and responsibilities.

We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.