Electrical Engineer

Team/Role Summary & Location

If you want to be on the cutting edge of technology and touch all facets of the Acuity Lighting business, this is the group for you! This position provides exposure to Acuity Indoor, Outdoor, Industrial, OEM, and Residential portfolios, and your efforts can directly impact top-line revenue and bottom-line margin via new product development, value engineering activities, product enhancements, and new technology integrations. 

The Electronics & Light Engine group provides innovation, ideation, direction, and solutions for all Acuity illumination products. Electronics Engineering is key in our illumination systems strategic vision, innovative solution designs, and product lifecycle management, which shape corporate and personal financial success.  This role provides exposure to aspects of Acuity Brands Engineering, Optics, Supply Chain, Finance, and Product Management, which can support your career growth opportunities. Our exciting team integrates a new Electronics Design Engineer who independently explores innovations to be brilliant, productive, and connected.

This role is responsible for new product design, cost reductions, field quality resolution, manufacturing support, and sustaining engineering activities related to Electronics & Light Engines.  The successful Electronics Engineer will provide product ideation, electronics hardware design, firmware creation/updates, LED selection, PCB design/layout, UV/Horticulture solutions, PCBA drawing creation, along with selection of drivers, surge protection devices, emergency battery backup equipment, and luminaire electronic controls.  Responsibilities include prototyping, testing, and assembling prototypes/samples required for evaluating designs and cost reductions.  This engineer will manage many projects simultaneously while collaborating with all cross-functional members of the design team, Focus Factory, and Product Management to ensure a successful and on-time product launch.  In everything this engineer does, both in projects and daily tasks, the LEAN Process methodology is applied to create impact, streamline, and improve processes.

Based on business needs, this Electronics Design Engineer works onsite in Decatur, GA. 

Primary Responsibilities Include

• Supporting various aspects of the design process, including (but not limited to) selecting electronics and LED components, creating firmware solutions for microprocessor-based solutions, LED driver selection, and system controls to provide integrated Light Engine solutions.
• Calculating parameters for Electronics and LED schematic configurations while working with the Optics team to provide correct lumens targets and lumens per watt to enable specific light distribution.
• Developing and distributing engineering data in the form of Engineering Change Notices, bills of material, drawings, PCB design/manufacturing files, test specifications, parts tracking, and all necessary product deliverables for product release and successful factory product launch. 
• Managing engineering documentation, ECRs, ECOs, DFMEA, calculations, and drawings using the Acuity Product Life Management and Financial systems. 
• Designing for new product development, product enhancements, cost reductions, and supporting Customers, Acuity factories, and overall supply chain as the needs of the business change.  
• Developing concepts for new products from project charters, specification matrix provided by Product Manager, reviewing competitor samples, and Acuity  Electronics & Light Engine design standards. Also compliant with Acuity DFx (design for reliability, testability, and manufacturability) before product launches.
•  Contributing to Acuity's Product Development System (PDS) for each design product to complete timely deliverables. PDS and DFx also ensure high-quality, compliant designs that achieve the Customer Experience Matrix (CEM).
•  Supporting ABS/LEAN Transformation by actively identifying, leading, participating in Kaizen events, and completing post-Kaizen activities to ensure documentation and standards outlive the event.

• Assisting the Electronics & Light Engine team with all process improvement activities and related research.  Develop and continuously improve Electronics & Light Engine processes, testing, DFx, and other documentation.  Lead, develop, and participate in Kaizen activities.
• Submitting photometry/thermal test requests and working directly with the testing group as necessary on any required follow-up.
• Working with the mechanical design team to ensure all samples submitted for testing comply with product CEM and Electronics & Light Engine testing/DFx documentation.
• Reviewing functional specifications, project charters, and competitors' samples, along with testing reports, to ensure products comply with CEM.
• Completing luminaire product scaling activities to ensure accurate and complete product specifications can be published.
• Continuously identify and actively implement process improvements related to productivity, quality, reliability, design, testing, purchasing, and manufacturing, including sourcing new or alternate processes/components, equipment, or training.
• Looking for advancements or changes in technology to improve Acuity products or market position.
• Partnering with Acuity's factories to resolve component, testing, deviation requests, and bill of material errors to keep the manufacturing lines running and produce quality product.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering is required. A Master's in Electronics Engineering is preferred.
• Ability to independently create electronics hardware designs and microprocessor firmware/code.
• Demonstrated experience in electronics and firmware engineering design is required. Please be prepared to share specifics of direct experience related to electronics/firmware designs with data-driven component selection and solutions of high-quality electronics systems.
• Proficiency in schematic capture and PCB layout tools, CAD (2D), Microsoft Office 365 programs, MiniTab, SPICE, and Circuit analysis tools is required.
• Ability to communicate understanding of heat transfer/flow, thermal design considerations, electrical isolation considerations, design cost trade-offs/analysis, EMI considerations, design prototyping, and design Reliability testing.
• Ability to use and understand results from benchtop electronics design tools independently and safely, including oscilloscope, signal generator, curve tracer, power analyzer, DVM, Surge and EMI generator, spectrum analyzer, Variac, illuminance flux/CCT measurement, RLC bridge, ESR meter, benchtop sphere, and power quality measurement equipment.
• Ability to demonstrate understanding of and use electronic component selection related to design, component tolerance stack-up analysis, component reliability analysis, simulation in computer circuit analysis tools, and system considerations.

• Ability to communicate understanding of PCBA manufacturing, factory testing methods, component selection impacts, and types of PCB materials.
• Ability to demonstrate LEAN & Six Sigma methodology and practices such as standard work, time study, cause & effect, A3, 5WHY, and other tools of DMAIC.
• Ability to clearly communicate verbally & written in English, sketches, engineering drawings, data collection, and create technical presentations to varied audiences.
• Ability to collaborate and work effectively in cross-functional and cross-matrix team environments to enable high-quality product designs and deliverables to be achieved on time.
• Ability to adapt personally and quickly to changes within Acuity, industry, engineering, and other standard work activities which produce compliant designs and on-time deliverables, enabling Acuity business metrics.  
• Understands applicable standards such as UL, DLC, and/or Energy Star and testing processes related to electronics and lighting products.
• Ability to travel (est. 10%) or as business situations dictate.
• Physical ability to independently lift up to 50 lbs.

#LI-JA1