Staff Electrical Engineer - Verification, Standards & Component Development

Job Summary

The Staff Electrical Systems Engineer is a hands-on technical leader responsible for driving the successful development, validation, and launch of electrical and electronic components across Harley-Davidson's motorcycle portfolio. This role combines deep knowledge of circuit design, PCBA development, EMC/ENV/EE requirements, and vehicle-level systems (e.g., grounding strategies) with strong ownership for delivering robust, production-ready designs.

The ideal candidate thrives on solving complex problems, bringing technical issues to closure, and mentoring engineers while moving work forward.

Job Responsibilities

Technical Ownership & Execution

• Develop, publish, and maintain Harley-Davidson Engineering Guidelines for Environmental (ENV), Electrical (EE), and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) domains.
• Lead and contribute to DFMEAs, ensuring risks are identified and mitigated through robust Design Verification Plans and Reports (DVP&R).
• Review and approve test plans and procedures for component-level, subsystem-level, and vehicle-level electrical testing.  Partner with design engineers on best practices for test development.
• Drive completion of Verification & Validation (V&V) activities for electrical/electronic components; ensure timely test execution, analyze results, and close findings with clear, data-driven recommendations.
• Resolve complex technical issues by applying structured problem-solving techniques (8D, Ishikawa, fault isolation, etc.) and coordinating cross-functional engineering and test resources.
• Steward grounding, shielding, power distribution, and other vehicle level EE strategies, ensuring component designs integrate cleanly into HD architectures.
• Mentor engineers on best practices for circuit design, PCBA layout, design-for-manufacturing, and design-for-reliability.
• Partner with suppliers to investigate failures, drive root cause analysis, and validate corrective actions in both prototype and production phases.
• Ensure supplier designs meet Harley-Davidson standards, validating schematics, PCB layouts, DFMEAs, and test coverage.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software, and Validation teams to ensure complete, integrated design solutions.
• Champion continuous improvement in test methods, design guidelines, and development processes across the organization.
• Support program milestones by providing clear status updates, risk assessments, and technical recommendations that keep programs on track.

Education Requirements

Education Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.

Experience Requirements

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 8 years of relevant design engineering experience in a related field.  In addition, they will have demonstrated the following: 

• Experience in transportation, automotive, powersports, or similar regulated environments.
• Experience solving issues from low-level circuits and PCBA failures through vehicle-level power/grounding/EMC concerns.
• Working knowledge of CAN, LIN, diagnostics, and embedded controller interfaces.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver technical workstreams and bring issues to closure.
• Strong knowledge of PCBA design, signal integrity, DFMEA/DVP&R processes, and root cause analysis.
• Hands-on familiarity with component level and vehicle-level EE, ENV, and EMC testing.
• Proven ability to drive supplier technical performance.
• Excellent communication and mentoring skills.
• Background in manufacturing, DFM/DFA, or production test processes.