Sr. Electrical Engineer

Novanta Inc.; Bedford (MA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Novanta Inc. in Bedford, MA, is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to design, simulate, and test mixed-signal electronics for precision motion control encoders.

You will collaborate with optical, firmware, mechanical and manufacturing teams to refine system requirements and ensure top performance. Responsibilities include PCB development, validation and troubleshooting, system integration testing, and thorough documentation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in electrical engineering focused on mixed-signal circuit design, development, and testing.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Proficiency in analog and digital electronics design, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with Altium PCB design tools.
• Knowledge of EtherCAT, BiSS-C, SPI and SSI protocols.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, and validate electronics for mixed-signal systems and encoders.
• Develop optical encoder electronics and sensing systems.
• Create photodiode interfaces and analog front-end circuits.
• Analyze encoder signal quality and noise performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet system objectives.

Skills

Mixed-signal design

Electrical engineering

PCB design

Altium

LTspice

EtherCAT

Troubleshooting

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

USB logic analyzers

Signal generators

Job description

Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission‑critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing. Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia‑Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.

Summary

As a Senior Electrical Engineer, you will design, simulate, and test mixed‑signal electronic systems that support advanced motion control sensors and encoders. You will collaborate closely with optical, firmware, mechanical and cross‑functional engineering teams to refine system requirements and ensure optimal product performance. Responsibilities include developing PCBs, conducting detailed troubleshooting, validating electronic subsystems, and performing data‑driven system testing. You will maintain rigorous technical documentation, support system integration activities, manage supplier quality and apply engineering principles to enhance product reliability and functionality.

Electronic System Design & Testing

• Design, simulate, and validate electronics for mixed‑signal systems, motion‑control sensors, and encoder technologies.
• Lead the design and development of optical encoder electronics and sensing systems for precision motion control applications.
• Develop photodiode interface circuits, LED/VCSEL drive electronics, and analog front‑end signal conditioning circuits.
• Analyze and optimize encoder signal quality, including amplitude balance, phase error, harmonics, noise performance, and interpolation accuracy.
• Collaborate with optical, mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing teams to achieve system‑level performance objectives.
• Develop and review PCB layouts to ensure electrical, mechanical, and project alignment.
• Conduct troubleshooting and diagnostic testing to ensure performance and reliability of components and subsystems.
• Participate in system‑level testing and deliver detailed written analysis reports.

System Integration & Collaboration

• Work with technical leads and cross‑functional engineering teams to support system integration and product development activities.
• Document system designs, test results, and engineering processes to maintain robust technical records and promote knowledge sharing.

Quality, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Address Supplier’s DFM questions and ensure best cost efficiency.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, implementing structured problem‑solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, 5 Whys, root cause analysis) when resolving complex electronic issues.
• Assist in designing test plans aligned with engineering quality standards and product risk.
• Support the validation and verification of new designs, including test development and documentation.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in electrical engineering focused on mixed‑signal circuit design, development, and testing.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related advanced field.
• Proficiency in analog and digital electronics design, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in laboratory skills, including setting up and running experiments.
• Proficiency in laboratory equipment like oscilloscopes, USB logic analyzers, signal generators, etc.
• Proficiency in Altium PCB design tools and methodologies.
• Proficiency in LTspice or comparable simulation tools.
• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols such as EtherCAT, BiSS‑C, SPI and SSI.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills with a detail‑oriented mindset.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in optical Encoders, magnetic Encoders, or torque sensors.
• Familiarity with analytical tools and programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C++ embedded firmware.
• Experience with photodiode sensors, transimpedance amplifiers (TIA), and low‑noise analog signal conditioning circuits.
• Understanding of encoder signal processing, including Sin/Cos interpolation, error compensation, and position feedback systems.

The salary for this role will range from $121,000 to $180,000 annually based on full-time employment. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including but not limited to location, relevant skills, training, experience, education, etc. Certain roles may be eligible for performance‑based incentive compensation and/or long‑term incentives. Incentives could be discretionary or non‑discretionary depending on the plan.

Novanta supports all aspects of your life’s needs. This position provides a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits to make your quality of life better.

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call [phone] if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.

Solving complex challenges, delivering innovations that matter! Novanta is a leading global supplier of core technology solutions that give medical, life science, and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers a competitive advantage. We combine deep proprietary expertise and competencies in precision medicine, precision manufacturing, robotics and automation, and advanced surgery with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges. This enables Novanta to engineer proprietary technology solutions that deliver extreme precision and performance, tailored to our customers' demanding applications. The driving force behind our growth is the team of innovative professionals who share a commitment to innovation, the Novanta Growth System, and our customers’ success. Novanta’s common shares are quoted on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "NOVT".