Electrical Characterization Engineer – Automotive ECU

Electrical Characterization Engineer – Automotive ECU

Location: Irvine, CA – Onsite

Duration: 12 Months

Job Type: Contract / C2C

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Electrical Characterization Engineer to support the design verification and validation of automotive electronic control units (ECUs). This position will focus primarily on Zonal and Battery ECUs, with responsibility for developing test strategies, performing hands-on electrical characterization, analyzing test results, and supporting root-cause investigations.

The ideal candidate will have strong electrical engineering fundamentals, extensive experience with electronics characterization and validation, and hands-on experience using laboratory test equipment. Experience with automotive electrical systems, communication buses, Python scripting, and data analysis is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive design verification and characterization test plans for automotive ECU programs.
• Plan and execute characterization testing according to project schedules and milestones.
• Perform hands-on bench-level characterization and validation at the IC and PCBA levels.
• Analyze test results and maintain test coverage reports to identify potential design or performance issues.
• Work closely with electrical, hardware, firmware, reliability, and software engineers to improve product quality and testability.
• Provide technical feedback to design teams regarding design decisions and Design for Testability (DFT).
• Prepare and present DFT and characterization results to technical and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage characterization schedules and communicate testing progress, results, and risks to project leadership.
• Develop basic Python scripts and instrumentation drivers to automate testing and improve laboratory efficiency.
• Work with software and firmware teams to flash, test, and troubleshoot ECU firmware.
• Investigate test failures and lead root-cause analysis of non-compliant results using electrical measurements and data analysis.
• Document test procedures, results, issues, and recommendations in accordance with project and quality requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience in electronics characterization, validation, or design verification testing.
• Strong understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals and electronic circuits.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory instrumentation such as:
• Oscilloscopes
• Digital multimeters (DMM)
• Power supplies
• Electronic loads
• Other electrical measurement and test equipment
• Working knowledge of automotive electrical systems and vehicle communication buses.
• Experience with Python scripting and data analysis.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with hardware, firmware, software, reliability, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present technical findings clearly.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with automotive ECUs, particularly Zonal or Battery Management System (BMS) ECUs.
• Experience with PCBA-level testing and electrical characterization.
• Familiarity with CAN, CANoe, CANalyzer, or other automotive communication tools.
• Experience developing automated test setups and instrumentation interfaces.
• Knowledge of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) or other automotive validation environments.