Electrical Engineer

IDEX Corporation; Rutherford (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

IDEX Corporation in the United States seeks an Electrical Engineer to design motor-control systems, develop embedded firmware, and validate high-speed drive electronics for industrial applications. The role collaborates across engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to deliver robust power-electronic solutions and scalable control software.

Strong experience in VFDs, CAN networks, MATLAB/Simulink, and firmware ownership is required, with a track record of delivering reliable, safe,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in electrical engineering, embedded motor-control development, and firmware.
• Experience with VFDs, power electronics, CAN, Modbus, EtherCAT, and system validation.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver robust hardware/software.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electrical systems and motor-control firmware for VFDs and controllers.
• Validate control algorithms, firmware, and hardware via HIL and system tests.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to specify, review, and qualify hardware.
• Integrate CAN/industrial networks and ensure EMI/EMC compliance.
• Perform performance analysis with tools like MATLAB/Simulink and Ansys Maxwell.
• Lead continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and documentation.

Skills

Motor control algorithms

Embedded firmware

Power electronics

CAN / EtherCAT

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

HIL platforms

Ansys Maxwell

C/C++

Job description

If you’re looking for a special place to build or grow your career, you’ve found it. Whether you’re an experienced professional, a recent college graduate or somewhere in between, IDEX is a place where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones in an environment where you can make an impact.

With interesting opportunities in engineering, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, HR, finance, and more across more than 40 diverse businesses around the globe, chances are, we have something special for you.

WHO WE ARE

Airtech is part of the IDEX Performance Pneumatics Group, delivering innovative solutions for vacuum, pressure, and flow control across critical industries worldwide. We specializes in custom-engineered vacuum and pressure systems, offering advanced solutions for complex applications in life sciences, electronics, and industrial automation. Known for flexibility and technical expertise, Airtech partners with customers to solve unique challenges and deliver tailored systems that meet demanding performance requirements.

Airtech combine engineering excellence, customer focus, and global reach to enable technologies that keep industries moving and improve everyday life.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Electrical Engineer is responsible for developing motor-control algorithms and advanced electrical systems that power high-speed rotating equipment. The role focuses on control strategies and embedded firmware for Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) used with AC motors, DC motor controllers for DC motor applications, motor-control electronics, and the integration of industrial communication protocols. The engineer will own the firmware portion of the development and ensure robust, efficient, and reliable system performance through power-electronics expertise, modeling, simulation, testing, and validation. The position requires close collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, quality, sales, product management, and external suppliers to take designs from requirements and specification development through prototyping, validation, and full-scale production. The ideal candidate combines deep motor-control and firmware expertise with the ability to communicate technical requirements clearly to hardware-development partners and vendors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and Development of Electrical Systems

• a. Support, Develop and optimize Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) for AC motors and DC motor controllers for DC motor applications.

• b. Design, integrate and Diagnose CAN‑based communication architectures that support deterministic data exchange between motor controllers, sensors.

• c. Support motor design activities.

  • Performance Analysis
    • Evaluating how the motor behaves under different operating conditions (speed, torque, load).
    • Using tools like MATLAB/Simulink or Ansys Maxwell to simulate motor efficiency, thermal performance, and electromagnetic characteristics.
  • Control Algorithm Development and Firmware Development
    • Develop, simulate, implement, tune, and optimize algorithms that control motor speed, torque, current, position, efficiency, and system stability across the operating envelope.
    • Develop and own embedded firmware for VFDs and DC motor controllers, including control loops, state machines, diagnostics, protection functions, parameter management, and industrial communications.
    • Apply motor-control techniques such as PID control, vector control, field‑oriented control (FOC), sensorless control, modulation strategies, and fault handling to achieve smooth acceleration, deceleration, and reliable operation.

• Testing and Validation

• a. Conduct hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL), dynamometer, and system‑level testing for VFDs, DC motor controllers, motors, and high-speed rotating equipment.

• b. Validate control algorithms, firmware, hardware interfaces, fault responses, performance, safety, reliability, and electromagnetic compatibility against product requirements and applicable standards.

• c. Develop and maintain test plans, instructions, automated test scripts, acceptance criteria, and traceable validation reports using tools such as Python, C/C++, and MATLAB/Simulink.

• Supplier Hardware Development and System Integration

• a. Work directly with suppliers to develop motor‑control hardware, power‑electronic assemblies, PCBs, sensing circuits, gate‑drive circuits, wiring harnesses, and associated electrical subsystems.

• b. Write clear technical specifications, interface‑control requirements, performance requirements, and validation criteria for external hardware‑development partners.

• c. Review supplier proposals, schematics, PCB layouts, component selections, design calculations, prototypes, test results, and corrective actions.

• d. Communicate technical information to vendors and drive design reviews, issue resolution, verification, and qualification through production release.

• e. Integrate supplier‑developed hardware with internally owned firmware, motors, sensors, communication networks, and high‑speed rotating equipment.

• f. Collaborate on enclosure design, thermal management, grounding, isolation, creepage and clearance, EMI/EMC compliance, manufacturability, and assembly validation.

• New Product Development
  a. Work cross‑functionally with engineering, manufacturing, quality, sales, and product management teams to integrate electrical design principles into new product development.
  b. Validate that changes to manufacturing processes do not impact overall product performance or reliability.

• Continuous Improvement and Root Cause Analysis
  a. Support root cause analysis (RCA) for failures and implement corrective and preventive actions.
  b. Identify opportunities for improving product reliability, quality, and durability through data‑driven insights.

• Collaboration and Communication
  a. Partner with engineering and quality teams to define, measure, and record key performance metrics.
  b. Maintain accurate documentation and records for testing and design processes.

• c. Develop and present reliability reports to stakeholders, highlighting findings and recommending improvements

MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE

• On time delivery of project milestones.
• Proper execution of all milestone documentation.
• Adherence to the milestone process.
• Proper product validation yielding low post-launch quality issues.
• Maintain high level of trust and engagement with team members.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Values: Acts with a high level of personal integrity and technical ownership.
• Motor‑Control Algorithm Expertise: Strong analytical ability to model dynamic systems and develop, tune, and troubleshoot closed‑loop control algorithms for speed, torque, current, position, and efficiency.
• Advanced knowledge of AC and DC motor‑control methods, including PID control, vector control, field‑oriented control (FOC), sensorless control, current regulation, modulation strategies, startup sequencing, and fault protection.
• Strong knowledge of power electronics, embedded systems, motor fundamentals, inverter and converter topologies, sensing, gate drives, and the interaction between control firmware, motor behavior, and mechanical load.
• Proficiency in motor‑control modeling, simulation, implementation, and analysis tools, including MATLAB/Simulink, embedded C/C++, Python, HIL platforms, oscilloscopes, power analyzers, and circuit or electromagnetic simulation tools such as PSpice and Ansys Maxwell.
• Firmware Ownership: Demonstrated ability to architect, develop, document, debug, release, and maintain embedded firmware for VFDs, DC motor controllers, and related motor‑drive products.
• Supplier Development: Experience writing technical specifications and interface requirements, communicating complex technical information to vendors, reviewing supplier designs, and driving externally developed hardware through prototype, verification, qualification, and production release.
• Industrial Communications: Experience integrating protocols such as CAN, Modbus, EtherCAT, or similar networks into motor‑control systems, including command, status, diagnostics, and parameter‑management functions.
• System Integration: Experience integrating VFDs, DC motor controllers, motors, sensors, power supplies, embedded firmware, communications, and high‑speed rotating equipment into a complete electrical system.
• Experience with thermal management, EMI/EMC, grounding, isolation, creepage and clearance, electrical safety, and mechanical integration of power‑electronic systems.
• Testing and Validation: Ability to develop HIL and system‑level test strategies, test plans, automated scripts, acceptance criteria, and traceable validation reports for control algorithms, firmware, and hardware.
• Root Cause and Reliability: Ability to diagnose control instability, electrical faults, communication issues, component failures, and system‑level performance problems and implement effective corrective actions.
• Project Leadership: Strong project‑management, organizational, prioritization, and cross‑functional coordination skills with the ability to drive technical decisions and maintain development discipline.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Commitment to rapid learning cycles, design robustness, capability growth, product reliability, and disciplined engineering processes.
• Communication: Ability to translate system requirements into clear technical specifications and communicate effectively with internal engineering, manufacturing, quality, sales, product‑management teams, customers, and external suppliers.
  • Ability to prepare and present design proposals, architecture reviews, milestone reviews, FMEAs, supplier design reviews, validation results, competitive evaluations, and technical recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in electrical engineering or related discipline
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in electrical engineering, embedded motor‑control algorithm development, firmware development, VFD or DC motor‑controller development, power electronics, product development, and/or system validation.
• undefined
• Hands‑on experience developing and validating control algorithms and embedded firmware for AC and/or DC motor‑drive applications.
• Experience collaborating with suppliers on hardware development, including specification writing, schematic and PCB reviews, prototype support, design verification, qualification, and production release.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are represented of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing duties of the job, employee is required to move around and be still; use hands to handle objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Noise level is minimal with intervals of spikes.
• Office working environment with occasional visits to the factory floor.
• Required to wear safety glasses and utilize other safety equipment as required while present on shop floor.

Are you ready to join a different kind of company where our people, our culture, and our commitments are centered around providing trusted solutions that improve lives around the world?

Total Rewards

The compensation range for this position is $99,800.00 - $149,600.00, depending on experience. This position may be eligible for performance based bonus plan.

Benefits Package

Our comprehensive U.S. benefit offerings include: Health benefits, 401(k) retirement savings program with company match, PTO, and more. More information on our benefits and rewards can be found on our career page: https://www.idexcorp.com/careers/our-benefits-and-rewards/

IDEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IDEX gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other consideration or protected category made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.

Attention Applicants: If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please let us know. Likewise, if you are limited in the ability to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, we will determine an alternate way for you to apply. Please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at [e-mail] for assistance with an accommodation. These contact tools may be used only by individuals with a disability for accommodation requests. Do not inquire as to the status of an application.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Artificial intelligence is not used to screen, assess or select applicants.