Senior Electrical Engineer – PCBA Troubleshooting

Radiant Systems Inc; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading electronics company in California seeks a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience in PCBA analysis and reverse engineering. This role focuses on engineering analysis, circuit troubleshooting, and creating documentation for repair vendors. The candidate must possess a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and be proficient with tools like logic analyzers and multimeters. Strong communication and problem-solving skills are essential for success in this position, which is 100% onsite in Milpitas.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience, preferably 13-18 years.
• Expertise in diagnosing and troubleshooting PCBA issues without design documents.
• Ability to develop structured troubleshooting documentation for repair suppliers.
• Ability to understand how circuits function from physical boards and components.

Responsibilities

• Conduct engineering analysis and diagnosis of circuit issues.
• Create clear troubleshooting documentation for technicians.
• Engage in reverse engineering and circuit understanding.

Skills

PCBA analysis

Reverse engineering of PCBAs

Troubleshooting

Documentation skills

Problem-solving

Lab/clean room work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Logic analyzers

Multimeters

Logic analyzers

Power supply troubleshooting

Job description

Overview

Position is for 6 months however can be extended if the right person.

100% onsite in Milpitas

Hours: 40 hours

Timing: 9 AM to 6 PM PST. Possible of OT but depends on work load.

Core Technical Requirements (Must-Have)

• Strong hands-on expertise in PCBA analysis
• Reverse engineering of PCBAs, often without schematics or design documentation
• Board-level troubleshooting from an engineering standpoint (not technician-level repair)
• Ability to understand how circuits function by analyzing physical boards and components
• Experience identifying failure points, root causes, and circuit-level issues
• Develop structured troubleshooting and diagnostic procedures for repair suppliers

Nature of the Role (Very Important)

• This is NOT a design role and NOT a day-to-day repair technician role
• Focus is on engineering analysis, diagnosis, and documentation
• Output is clear troubleshooting documentation that repair vendors/technicians can follow
• Testing is ~20% of the role; the majority is reverse engineering and circuit understanding
• ATE-only or repetitive RMA profiles are not a good fit

Tools & Technical Knowledge

• Hands-on use of:
• • Logic/protocol analyzers
  • Multimeters
  • Power supply troubleshooting knowledge is a plus, not mandatory
  • Ability to design basic test fixtures for repaired boards (bonus)

Experience & Education

• 10+ years of relevant experience (ideal range: 13–18 years)
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Electrical Engineering

Soft Skills & Working Style (Critical)

• High perseverance and patience (problems may take time to solve)
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and incomplete information
• Independent problem solver who can still collaborate with the team
• Strong documentation and communication skills
• Able to translate complex technical analysis into simple, actionable instructions
• Open-minded, flexible, and willing to work in labs/clean rooms as needed

Technical Skills

• Strong expertise in PCBA design analysis, reverse engineering, and diagnosis/troubleshooting to address our repair goals. Candidate should be capable of diagnosing and troubleshooting defective boards, with or without relevant design documentation.
• Skilled at developing comprehensive board repair plans—including approaches, timelines, and identifying technical dependencies.
• Applying critical thinking to troubleshoot PCBA issues without design documents
• Proficient in using PCB troubleshooting equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers
• Work with minimum guidance
• Good track record of on time delivery
• Attitude to persevere through tough challenges
• Good understanding on Power supplies and electrical systems will be a plus
• There might be International travel occasionally
• ability to work effectively with both junior and senior-level team members, bringing in a collaborative environment
• communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders