Principal Engineer - Product

Job Title

Principal Engineer - Product

Role Summary

Lead development of low-noise Voltage Controlled SAW Oscillator (VCSO) products and support existing Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) product lines. Collaborate with product management, sales, manufacturing and customers to define requirements, deliver prototypes, and support production and sustaining engineering.

Experience Level

Senior-level (Principal). Requires a minimum of 5 years' experience working with RF/microwave circuits; demonstrated history driving projects to completion with independence.

Responsibilities

Accountable for product definition, design, verification, and transfer to production.

• Work with product management, sales, and customers to define product requirements and project scope.
• Create and execute comprehensive project plans from concept/receipt of order through product release and production support.
• Perform mechanical and electrical design tasks: DC & RF circuit design and simulation, PCB design, EM simulation, and stress/thermal analysis as required.
• Contribute hands-on to prototyping, testing, and sustaining-engineering activities with technicians and manufacturing staff.
• Collaborate with procurement and process/test engineers to ensure manufacturability and maximize production yield; perform statistical analysis as needed.
• Prepare and present design review packages and technical data to internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and validate manufacturing tools and documentation: drawings, BOMs, schematics, test procedures, acceptance limits, and process specifications.
• Perform root cause and corrective action analysis for WIP or field failures.
• Support other assigned engineering projects as needed.

Requirements

Core technical skills, hands-on RF experience, security eligibility, and communication/project management ability are required.

Must-have

• Minimum 5 years working with RF/microwave circuits to ~2 GHz or higher.
• Experience using DC and RF circuit simulators.
• Strong understanding of PCB design for RF/microwave circuits and manufacturability.
• Proven ability to use network analyzers, spectrum/signal analyzers, oscilloscopes and interpret results.
• Experience with data collection and basic statistical analysis (e.g., Excel).
• Strong failure analysis, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office (high proficiency in Excel).
• Ability to manage multiple projects and to prepare/present technical data clearly.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain a U.S. Secret security clearance.

Nice-to-have

• Experience using Keysight ADS for small-signal, large-signal and noise simulations.
• Experience with 2.5D/3D EM FEA simulation (HFSS preferred) and mechanical FEA (ANSYS preferred).
• Experience designing low phase-noise VCOs and performing phase-noise measurements.
• Experience with Altium or other PCB tools for RF/microwave layouts.
• Familiarity with statistical methods: hypothesis testing, DOE, SPC, Gage R&R.
• Experience programming for automation or data analysis and fine soldering/dexterity for 0402 components.

Education Requirements

Minimum: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering required. Master of Science or higher in Electrical Engineering is preferred.

About the Company

Company: Microchip

Headquarters: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Microchip is a leading semiconductor company focused on developing innovative solutions to enhance the human experience. With a commitment to empowering innovation, Microchip prioritizes the value of its employees by fostering a culture that supports their growth and contributions.