Principal R&D Electrical Engineer

At Cepheid, we are passionate about improving health care through fast, accurate diagnostic testing. Our mission drives us, every moment of every day, as we develop scalable, groundbreaking solutions to solve the world's most complex health challenges. Our associates are involved in every stage of molecular diagnostics, from ideation to development and delivery of testing advancements that improve patient outcomes across a range of settings. As a member of our team, you can make an immediate, measurable impact on a global scale, within an environment that fosters career growth and development.

Cepheid is proud to work alongside a community of six fellow Danaher Diagnostics companies. Together, we're working at the pace of change on diagnostic tools that address the world's biggest health challenges, driven by knowing that behind every test there is a patient waiting.

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The Principal R&D Electrical Engineer is responsible for hands-on interdisciplinary technical leadership in a fast-paced team that is developing Cepheid's next generation medical diagnostic instrument platforms, lab automation and production systems. This role works within a team comprised of electrical, mechanical, embedded software engineers to design and productize molecular diagnostic systems that will be commercialized as key products in Cepheid's portfolio.. In this role, there will be tremendous amount of skill growth opportunities through various forums and trainings on DBS processes. There are also various challenging and yet very interesting projects that deepen the acquired technical and business skills.

This position is part of the R&D Electrical Engineering organization and will be located in Sunnyvale, CA. At Cepheid, our vision is to be the leading provider of seamlessly connected diagnostic solutions.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Hands-on integration of electro-mechanical, electro-optic, and other integrated systems to optimize systems signal-to-noise ratio, fault tolerance, and system packaging.
• Define the architecture and implement analog and digital systems design within tight physical constraints leading to board-level schematics design, layout, board bring-up, system-level interconnect solutions and system-level troubleshooting strategies.
• Communicates complex electrical engineering ideas in a cross functional setting, with anticipation that potential objections may arise and can persuades others, with solid quantitative data and technical justification, to adopt a different point of view.
• Lead in Problem-Solving-Process (PSP) to determine root-causes for electronics/firmware issues in diverse systems that includes high speed data handling, motion control, signal conditioning/ processing and temperature control in collaboration with other team members in the identification and implementation of countermeasures to fix issues. This will then be followed by leading design teams in verification, validation and Change Order submission and implementation of the redesigns.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with 12+ years
  • or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with 8+ years of relevant work.
  • or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering with 5+ years of relevant work.
• Electrical engineering background in at least one of the following areas: embedded systems, computer architecture, signal processing or feedback systems control.
• Expert-level knowledge of PCBA designs (both schematics and layout) that involve various force/pressure sensors, optoelectronics, op-amps, ADC/DAC, USB, I2C, SPI, Ethernet, PHY's, FPGA or Microcontroller.
• Experience leading technical teams to drive root cause analysis, corrective actions and continuous process improvements.
• Demonstrated evidence to self-manage, take initiative, organize, and prioritize multiple projects at various stages in a fast-paced and FDA-regulated environment.

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:

• Working knowledge of regulatory safety and EMC standards and test methods.
• Developing digital designs in FPGAs with deep understanding of Ethernet and TCP/IP
• Familiarity with scripting tools, such as Python or Matlab.

Cepheid, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it's a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at

At Cepheid we believe in designing a better, more sustainable workforce. We recognize the benefits of flexible, hybrid working arrangements for eligible roles and are committed to providing enriching careers, no matter the work arrangement. This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement in which you can work part of the time at the Company location identified above and part of the time remotely from your home. Additional information about this hybrid work arrangement will be provided by your interview team. Explore the flexibility and challenge that working for Cepheid can provide.

The salary range for this role is US $ 165, ,000 annually. This is the range that we in good faith believe is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.

This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.

We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole discretion, consistent with the law.

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Given the essential job duties of this position, the employee is required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation and applicable law.

Danaher Corporation and all Danaher Companies are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics protected by law. We value diversity and the existence of similarities and differences, both visible and not, found in our workforce, workplace and throughout the markets we serve.Our associates, customers and shareholders contribute unique and different perspectives as a result of these diverse attributes.

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We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at to request accommodation.