Electronic Control Module Technical Lead Engineer

Caterpillar Caterpillar · Industrial · Mossville, IL

Lead engineer for Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) in engine and machine systems. Responsibilities include hardware development, circuit analysis, component selection, schematic/layout design, verification, validation, supplier partnership, complex analysis, problem-solving, and technical leadership. The role involves working with embedded software, understanding mechanical/environmental requirements, and managing the platform lifecycle. Focus on quality through testing and analysis, with an emphasis on delivery and technical leadership. Requires experience in board-level and chip circuit design, simulation, analysis, ECM development/validation, NPI, APQP, FMEAs, environmental validation, EMC testing, safety/regulatory compliance, and specific circuit types like injector circuits.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop, improve and troubleshoot electronic/electrical hardware used in an array of engine and machine systems, including developing product requirements, circuit analysis and simulation, electronic component selection, schematic/layout design and review, and platform verification and validation.
  2. Partner with suppliers including the manufacturing plan and process development.
  3. Execute complex analysis work, identify design problems and root cause, and resolve design problems.
  4. Transition from individual contributor to team leadership and focus on technical delivery.
  5. Coordinate activities with appropriate teams as the platform includes embedded software as a key deliverable for some components.

Skills

Required

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronic/electrical hardware development
  • Product requirements development
  • Circuit analysis and simulation
  • Electronic component selection
  • Schematic/layout design and review
  • Platform verification and validation
  • Supplier partnership
  • Manufacturing plan and process development
  • Complex analysis
  • Design problem identification and root cause analysis
  • Technical delivery
  • Embedded software coordination
  • Analog hardware design
  • Digital hardware design
  • Mechanical and environmental requirements understanding
  • Platform lifecycle management
  • Obsolescence management
  • Simulation
  • Analysis
  • Verification
  • Validation testing
  • Troubleshooting
  • Technical leadership
  • Board level circuit design (analog, digital, power supply)
  • Chip circuit design
  • Circuit simulation (e.g., LTSpice)
  • Complex circuit analysis
  • Machine or Engine system Electronic Control module development/validation/troubleshooting
  • New Product Development (NPI)
  • Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
  • Proactive reliability
  • Collaborative Product and Process Development (CPPD)
  • Budgeting
  • FMEAs
  • Environmental validation
  • EMC testing
  • Safety and Regulatory Compliance
  • Power supplies
  • Microprocessors
  • Communication technologies (ethernet/CAN)
  • Injector circuits
  • Input/output circuits

Nice to have

  • Team leadership
  • Training new staff
  • Industry trend awareness
  • Continuous learning

What the JD emphasized

  • bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in Electrical Engineering or a related field and 10 years of experience
  • Board level circuit design including analog, digital, and/or power supply circuits
  • Chip circuit design
  • Stimulating circuits to develop circuits or to identify potential shortcomings using tools like LTSpice
  • Conducting complex circuit analysis to validate functionality and/or resolve problems
  • Developing, validating, and troubleshooting Machine or Engine system Electronic Control modules
  • New Product Development (NPI), Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), proactive reliability, Collaborative Product and Process Development (CPPD), budgeting and FMEAs
  • Environmental validation, EMC testing, Safety and Regulatory Compliance
  • Circuit analysis with power supplies, analog and digital circuitry including microprocessors and communication technologies like ethernet/CAN
  • Key circuits such as injector circuits that control injection/emissions for engine ECM as well as input/output circuits to control various equipment operations such as steering, braking, transmission, etc.