Senior Electronics Engineer – Motor Control & Power Electronics

Zikodrive; Halifax; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Dynamic work environment

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Zikodrive is seeking an experienced Senior Electronics Engineer to guide the design of high-current motor control electronics for low-voltage applications in Halifax. You will oversee circuit architecture, schematic design, and PCB layout, working closely with teams to ensure the development of innovative motor control technology.

The ideal candidate possesses strong expertise in power electronics, circuit design, and component selection, along with proficiency in Altium Designer. Join a collaborative team focused on professional growth and dynamic work in the heart of the Pennines.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electronics Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience leading electronics design for power electronics systems.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB layout.

Responsibilities

• Lead circuit design for low-voltage, high-current motor drives.
• Collaborate with teams for PCB layout and compliance.
• Manage component selection and supplier engagement.

Skills

Circuit design

Schematic design

PCB layout

Component selection

Altium Designer

Power electronics systems

Signal integrity

Education

Degree in Electronics Engineering

Tools

SPICE

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Electronics Engineer to lead the end‑to‑end design of complex, high‑current motor control electronics for low‑voltage applications (currently up to 48V), working at the forefront of BLDC and inverter technology. You will own circuit architecture, schematic design, and component selection, and will take designs through to PCB layout, manufacturing release, and production support – either personally or in close collaboration with a layout specialist / PCB Design Engineer to take ownership of complex, high‑power motor control designs, working at the forefront of BLDC and inverter technology.

Responsibilities

• Circuit design and topology selection for low-voltage, high-current motor drives and inverters, including MOSFET power stages, gate drive, sensing, and auxiliary supplies
• Schematic capture, simulation, and design trade‑off analysis, working closely with firmware, mechanical, and manufacturing teams
• PCB layout (or close direction of a layout specialist) for high-speed MOSFET switching stages, gate drive loops, and parasitic minimisation
• Ensuring compliance with EMC/ESD and relevant industrial standards (e.g. EN 61800)
• PCB stack‑up definition, impedance control, and grounding strategy
• Preparation of manufacturing data, BOMs, and support for DFM/DFT activities
• Component selection, supplier engagement, and obsolescence management for critical parts
• Design verification through calculation, simulation, and prototype evaluation
• Degree in Electronics Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• Significant experience leading electronics design for power electronics systems, including schematic design, topology selection, and component engineering
• Proficiency in Altium Designer (or equivalent) for schematic capture and PCB layout
• Experience designing motor drives, inverters, or DC‑DC converters from concept to release – ideally in low‑voltage, high‑current applications (eg 12V–48V battery systems). Higher‑voltage experience welcome
• Experience with topology selection, power‑stage design, and gate‑drive design for fast‑switching MOSFET systems
• Experience with analogue and mixed‑signal circuit design – current sensing, feedback, protection, and auxiliary supplies
• Experience with component selection, derating, and reliability analysis for high‑current applications – including MOSFETs, capacitors, magnetics, and current‑sensing components
• Experience designing layouts for fast‑switching MOSFET power stages, gate drive loops, and minimisation of parasitic inductance
• Knowledge of signal integrity, grounding, and EMC
• Knowledge of high‑current layout practices – busbar/copper‑pour sizing, via stitching, and thermal relief design
• Knowledge of high‑current PCB layout requirements and regulatory certification at PCBA and product levels, including EMC/ESD
• Ability to perform design calculations/simulations and create prototypes as required to estimate performance, reliability and the identification/elimination of high‑risk areas ensuring robust (high quality) designs requiring minimal re‑design
• Good knowledge of signal integrity aspects of PCBs including proper grounding, cross‑talk, current density / thermal design
• Highly motivated and self‑driven with good communication skills
• Excellent written skills, able to work to specifications, request additional information where specification unclear and write clear reports on designs to enable assembly and test
• Good knowledge of design for manufacture principles in PCB design and ability to respond to manufacturing requests
• Knowledge and experience of working to EN 61800 and related subsections
• Experience with motor drives, inverters, or DC‑DC converters
• Understanding of FOC and motor control hardware (current sensing, feedback systems)
• Experience with simulation tools (eg SPICE)
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading small design teams
• Exposure to functional safety standards (eg IEC61508, ISO 26262) or product certification (CE/UKCA)
• Firmware/hardware co‑design experience – working alongside embedded engineers on motor control algorithms

What's great in the job?

• Great team of talented people, in a friendly and open culture
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Dynamic work environment in the Heart of the Pennines at the cutting edge of motor control technology
• Collaborative team culture with ample opportunities for professional growth