Lead Engineer - Embedded Hardware Design

Job Description

It’s not just about your career or job title… It’s about who you are and the impact you will make on the world. Because whether it’s for each other or our customers, we put People First. When our people come together, we Expand the Possible and continuously look for ways to improve what we create and how we do it. If you are constantly striving to grow, you’re in good company. We are revolutionizing the way the world moves for future generations, and we want someone who is ready to move with us.

Who are we?

Wabtec Corporation is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for freight and transit rail as well as the mining, marine, and industrial markets. Drawing on nearly four centuries of collective experience across Wabtec, GE Transportation, and Faiveley Transport, the company has grown to become One Wabtec, with unmatched digital expertise, technological innovation, and world-class manufacturing and services, enabling the digital-rail-and-transit ecosystems.

Wabtec is focused on performance that drives progress and unlocks our customers’ potential by delivering innovative and lasting transportation solutions that move and improve the world. We are lifelong learners obsessed with making things better to drive exceptional results. Wabtec has approximately 27K employees in facilities throughout the world. Visit our website to learn more!

Role Summary
The Lead / Advanced Lead Engineer – Embedded Hardware Design is responsible for the architecture, design, development, validation, and technical leadership of embedded electronic hardware solutions for brake electronics and transit applications.
The role requires a strong technical foundation in embedded hardware design, the ability to lead complex engineering activities, mentor engineers, and drive technical excellence across the product development lifecycle. The successful candidate will act as a key technical contributor and interface with global Centers of Competence (CoC), systems engineering, software, validation, manufacturing, sourcing, and supplier teams to deliver high-quality, safety-compliant electronic products.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Hardware Development
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Lead the design and development of embedded electronic hardware solutions for transit and brake control applications.
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Own technical execution of hardware work packages from concept through validation and industrialization.
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Design and review:
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Electronic Control Units (ECUs)
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Power electronics and I/O modules
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Sensor and actuator interface circuits
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Communication interface hardware
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Embedded control electronics for safety-critical applications
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Drive schematic design reviews, component selection, PCB design reviews, derating analyses, and reliability assessments.
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Participate in hardware architecture discussions and technical decision-making activities.
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Ensure compliance with Wabtec engineering standards, applicable industry regulations, and customer requirements.
1 - General Business
System Design & Technical Ownership
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Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, and Validation teams to ensure robust end-to-end system solutions.
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Analyze system requirements and translate them into hardware design specifications.
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Support system-level trade-off studies involving performance, cost, manufacturability, reliability, and safety.
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Lead technical investigations and root-cause analysis for complex hardware issues.
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Provide technical guidance during design reviews, risk assessments, and engineering governance activities.
Verification & Validation
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Define hardware verification and validation strategies.
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Lead board bring-up, debugging, hardware integration, and qualification activities.
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Support:
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Functional testing
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EMC/EMI testing
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Environmental qualification
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Reliability testing
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Product certification activities
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Review and approve test reports and design verification documentation.
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Ensure technical risks are proactively identified and mitigated.
Mentoring & Capability Development
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Provide technical mentoring and coaching to junior and mid-level hardware engineers.
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Support development of engineering best practices, design guidelines, and reusable design methodologies.
1 - General Business
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Contribute to building local engineering capability through knowledge sharing and technical training initiatives.
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Lead technical reviews and promote engineering excellence across projects.
Supplier & Cross-Functional Collaboration
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Work closely with suppliers to evaluate electronic components, resolve technical issues, and support design validation activities.
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Engage with sourcing, quality, and manufacturing teams to support product industrialization and supplier localization initiatives.
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Participate in customer technical discussions and engineering reviews when required.
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Collaborate with global engineering teams to ensure alignment with corporate standards and technology roadmaps.
Project Execution
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Take ownership of hardware deliverables within customer and platform development projects.
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Support project planning, effort estimation, scheduling, and technical risk management.
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Drive on-time delivery of assigned engineering milestones while maintaining product quality and compliance requirements.
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Provide regular technical status updates to project stakeholders and leadership teams.
Required Qualifications
Education
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Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
1 - General Business
Experience
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Lead Engineer: 5-7 years experience, leading subsystem or project-level hardware development.
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Advanced Lead Engineer: 8-10 years experience, recognized technical expert leading multiple projects, architecture decisions, technical governance, and mentoring across the broader hardware team.
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Proven experience in developing electronic products from concept through validation and production release.
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Experience in one or more of the following domains:
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Rail / Transit Systems
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Automotive Electronics
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Industrial Automation
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Embedded Control Systems
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Safety-Critical Electronics
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Experience working within global and cross-functional engineering organizations.
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Demonstrated experience leading technical work packages and mentoring engineers.
Technical Skills
Essential
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Strong expertise in:
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Analog and digital electronics design
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Embedded hardware architecture
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Microcontroller and processor-based systems
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Power supply and power electronics fundamentals
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Signal conditioning and interface design
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Communication protocols including CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, and RS-485
1 - General Business
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Hands-on experience in:
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Schematic capture and PCB design reviews
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Hardware bring-up and debugging
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Failure analysis and root-cause investigation
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Hardware verification and validation
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Proficiency with laboratory equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power analyzers, and environmental test equipment.
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Strong understanding of design for manufacturability (DFM), design for testability (DFT), and reliability engineering principles.
Preferred
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Experience with safety-critical electronic systems.
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Exposure to railway standards, IEC standards, EN standards, or functional safety frameworks.
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Knowledge of EMC/EMI compliance and environmental qualification standards.
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Familiarity with requirements management, PLM, and configuration management tools.
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Experience working with globally distributed engineering teams.
Leadership & Behavioural Competencies
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Strong technical leadership and ownership mindset.
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Excellent analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
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Ability to influence technical decisions across cross-functional teams.
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Effective communication and stakeholder-management skills.
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Strong mentoring and coaching capabilities.
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Customer-focused approach with commitment to quality and execution excellence.
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Ability to work effectively in a matrix and global engineering environment.
1 - General Business
Desirable / Nice-to-Have
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Experience in brake control systems, railway electronics, or transportation systems.
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Exposure to Functional Safety, RAMS, or Safety Integrity Level (SIL) development processes.
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Experience supporting customer audits, product certifications, and safety assessments.
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Experience contributing to technology roadmaps and platform development initiatives.
What Success Looks Like
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Successful delivery of complex embedded hardware solutions meeting performance, safety, quality, cost, and schedule objectives.
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Recognition as a technical leader and subject matter expert within the organization.
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Strong collaboration with global engineering teams and Centers of Competence.
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Effective mentoring and growth of engineering talent within the team.
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High-quality designs with robust verification, validation, and field performance.
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Increased local engineering ownership and technical capability in embedded hardware development.

Our Commitment to Embrace Diversity:

Wabtec is a global company that invests not just in our products, but also our people by embracing diversity and inclusion. We care about our relationships with our employees and take pride in celebrating the variety of experiences, expertise, and backgrounds that bring us together. At Wabtec, we aspire to create a place where we all belong and where diversity is welcomed and appreciated.   

To fulfill that commitment, we rely on a culture of leadership, diversity, and inclusion. We aim to employ the world’s brightest minds to help us create a limitless source of ideas and opportunities. We have created a space where everyone is given the opportunity to contribute based on their individual experiences and perspectives and recognize that these differences and diverse perspectives make us better.

We believe in hiring talented people of varied backgrounds, experiences, and styles… People like you! Wabtec Corporation is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, or protected Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Qualifications

Additional Information

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.
 

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.