Electrical Engineer, Hardware Development

Electrical Engineer, Hardware Development

Vitamix is unquestionably the premium brand of high-performance "blenders," and known for its top-notch company culture and climate. It is an important component of what makes Vitamix unique and successful, and the reason why Vitamix is recognized as a Top Workplace, NorthCoast99 Winner, and Smart Culture Award recipient.

Throughout its 100+ year history, Vitamix has encouraged and promoted healthy lifestyles for both its customers and employees. Employees enjoy multiple wellness programs and perks, a free Vitamix machine, and an onsite fitness center. Vitamix also offers a flexible work environment, great work culture, healthy living initiatives like fitness reimbursements, and opportunities for advancement.

Vitamix is the Global-leader in high-performance blending solutions for home and commercial use, is preferred by chefs and is found in many of top restaurants around the world. It is relied upon by culinary schools in the U.S. and has been used to train thousands of students and master chefs worldwide. If it is not a Vitamix, it's just a blender.

Vitamix is seeking a Hardware Development Engineer that will research, develop and provide technical support to development engineering activities and electro-mechanical systems in Vitamix products, both Commercial and Household. The Engineer will also be responsible for the electro-mechanical design in and/or integration with Vitamix products including control boards, embedded firmware, motors, EMI filters, cord sets and wiring in order to meet product performance, cost and schedule requirements. They will participate in the NPD Stage-Gate process and contribute to product reliability, safety compliance, and EMC/EMI design objectives across all applicable programs.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provides technical support to Engineering, Production and Quality for all matters pertaining to electro-mechanical components
• Assists in the development of control systems
• Assists in the design of electro-mechanical components
• Manages the Bill of Material process
• Performs various change control activity
• Develops embedded systems control and firmware
• Coordinates and assists in the development of test plans and in the testing of electro-mechanical components and/or Vitamix products
• Supports change activity concerning circuit boards and electro-mechanical components on existing product lines
• Identifies and implements performance and/or quality improvement and cost savings opportunities related to motors, EMI filters, cord sets, circuit boards, and wiring for any new project, utilizing end user needs, warranty feedback, material cost, etc.
• Assists in ensuring all relevant technical and agency system requirements, internally and externally, are met for new and existing products
• Participates in FMEA sessions, contributing to identification of safety-critical failure modes and design controls for new and existing products
• Supports UL/IEC safety compliance activities including design-to-standard, test preparation, and coordination with certification labs
• Applies EMC/EMI design principles including grounding, filtering, and shielding strategies to achieve pre-compliance and agency requirements
• Executes applicable deliverables within the NPD Stage-Gate (STEP) process, ensuring EE documentation and design artifacts are completed and approved at each gate review
• Supports electrical reliability activities including derating analysis, thermal analysis, and DVP/PVP test execution
• Performs motor control hardware tasks including thermistor/TCO setpoint evaluation and motor fault response validation in support of product programs

Position Qualifications

Experience:

2-4 years Engineering experience

Education:

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or related Engineering field required

Master's degree in electrical engineering, a plus

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office
• Previous experience using Pro-Engineer or similar 3D modeling software
• Experience with Electrical CAD (Altium) desired
• Possesses working knowledge of ERP systems such as Oracle and/or SAP
• Fundamental knowledge of motors (Universal Motors, Induction Motors, Permanent Magnet Motors, BLDC)
• Experience with communications and wireless technologies
• Familiarity and/or experience with/in PLC, HMI, Control Panel Design and PCB Layout
• Working knowledge of motor control hardware including motor controllers, power stages, MOSFETs/gate drivers, thermistors, and TCO devices; ability to support motor selection and evaluate designs against performance requirements
• Previous experience and/or knowledge of sensor technologies and implementation
• Proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout using Altium Designer, including ability to route boards with consideration for noise, thermal performance, signal integrity, and DFM requirements
• Analog and digital circuit design fundamentals, including ability to independently design analog/digital subcircuits and MCU support circuitry (power, clocks reset, interfaces)
• Knowledge of electrical safety standards (UL/IEC) and product compliance requirements; ability to apply insulation, grounding, and isolation principles in circuit designs.
• Understanding of EMC/EMI fundamentals including common sources of interference, EMI mitigation techniques (filtering, shielding, grounding), and basic pre-compliance testing practices
• Familiarity with FMEA methodology (Design FMEA, IEC 60730-1 Annex H board FMEA) and ability to participate in structured risk analysis activities
• Ability to use oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, and other standard lab equipment for circuit debug, validation, and data collection
• Understanding of NPD Stage-Gate process and ability to execute applicable EE deliverables (hardware control documents, DVP/PVP plans, BOM, schematics) in accordance with program timelines and gate requirements
• Working knowledge of component lifecycle, BOM management, and basic supply chain considerations including component availability, alternates, and sourcing risk

Other Requirements:

• Problem Solving - Skilled at quickly diagnosing issues, identifying root causes, and developing and implementing effective solutions.
• Critical Thinking - Ability to break down complex information, identify key elements, and assess their validity and relevance.
• Communication - Ability to clearly articulate reasoning, explain decisions, and effectively convey complex ideas to different audiences.
• Relationship Building - Ability to establish, maintain, and cultivate positive relationships with individuals, teams, and external stakeholders to foster a collaborative environment
• Innovation & Adaptability - Demonstrated ability to generate innovative ideas, explore unconventional approaches, and adapt strategies to achieve desired outcomes, showcasing originality, resourcefulness and a willingness to experiment.
• Flexibility - Ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities, new information, and diverse situations, while remaining focused on achieving goals.
• Reliability/Dependability - Highly reliable, proactive self-starter; can be counted on to complete assignments on time

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit up to 8 hours per day, with walking and standing required frequently
• Visual acuity is required to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data, viewing a computer terminal, reading documents, reports, and emails
• Repetitive hand movements for tasks like typing or assembly

Amount of Travel Required: Up to 10% travel required

# of Direct Reports: 0

Work Schedule/Shift: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Work Environment: Office

The Company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the Company reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the Company may deem appropriate.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform