Senior Electronics Design Engineer, Laboratory Instruments

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs. With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Responsibilities

• Own high-speed digital and FPGA/SoC (Xilinx Zynq) design, and PCB design in Altium 365 to IPC standards.
• Take technical ownership of the electronics architecture for your subsystems, from early concept through prototype, verification and product release.
• Run the product-design process for your subsystems: hardware and product requirements (HRS/PRS), design proposals, design reviews, DFMEA, verification plans and reports.
• Prototype quickly — breadboards, proto and rework boards — to validate concepts ahead of full PCBA spins.
• Own the electrical BOM, component datasheets and the related safety/EMC considerations; support DFM/DFA as designs move from prototype to production.
• obsolescence and alternates, manufacturing and field issues, root cause.
• Work with optics, mechanics, firmware, software and scientists to prove out designs; coordinate cross-functional issue resolution.
• requirements, design reviews, DFMEA, verification plans and reports.
• Obsolescence management and sustaining of released products.

Job Title

Senior Electronics Design Engineer, Laboratory Instruments Location(s) High Wycombe Job Description About the role Hands-on senior designer in a mission-driven electronics team developing the next generation of material-characterisation laboratory instruments and sustaining the existing product range. You will own subsystems from requirements to verified hardware: low-noise detection front-ends, power distribution, MCU- and FPGA-based control boards, and the integration of cables, actuators and motors. You bring the two things the team needs most: a structured product-design approach and high-speed digital / Xilinx FPGA capability. What you will do Design and verify circuits for the new instrument: low-noise analogue front-ends, mixed-signal, power and control boards.

Bring up, debug and validate boards on the bench with the firmware team; solder, modify and test hardware yourself.

Essential

Degree in electrical/electronic engineering or a closely related discipline; 5+ years of design engineering in instrumentation or test & measurement products. Mixed-signal design in a low-noise environments.

Digital hardware

MCU-based control boards and communication interfaces — 1G/10GEthernet, USB, SPI, I²C, UART/RS-232, RS-485, CAN, PCIe. High-speed multilayer (8+ layer) digital design from schematic to PCB, including DDR3/DDR4 memory interfaces; FPGA/SoC design on Xilinx Zynq in VHDL or Verilog. Schematic and PCB design in Altium 365 to IPC-2221 / IPC-7351 with managed-library and version-control discipline; design for manufacture and assembly with a contract manufacturer, including DFM checks (e.g. Valor NPI) and Gerber review (e.g. ViewMate). Hands-on PCBA bring-up, test and troubleshooting with digital oscilloscopes, DVMs, spectrum, and logic analysers; test rigs and test plans; disciplined root-cause analysis. Not afraid of practical work — tinkering with circuits and debugging on your own initiative. EMC and product safety for laboratory equipment: IEC 61326-1 and IEC 61010-1, through to passing compliance testing.

System-integration mindset

how a board fits the rest of the system — cabling, connectivity, harnessing, system diagrams — not only what it does. Desirable Experience with power supply design.

Working with suppliers and manufacturers

quotes, cost comparisons, assembly options. Familiarity with PLM and task-tracking tools. Git and Git-based workflows; lean product development with Jira and Confluence. Applied use of AI tools and agentic workflows in engineering work UV instruments and high-voltage lamp drivers; thermal control and thermal-equipment design. How we work Analytical and data-driven, with attention to detail; sees both the small and the big picture. Task- and goal-oriented and well organised; works independently or as part of a larger team; comfortable in a high-paced, hands-on hardware environment. Communicates clearly in writing and in person; adaptable across several projects with shifting priorities and deadlines. Open-minded and confident to push back on design changes and tasks when the evidence says so.

A problem-solver and fixer

not afraid to break things, cut to the cause and debug quickly. Brings energy, mentors others and helps grow the team.

What we offer

A well-equipped personal bench, all the test equipment and software you need. A lab and instrument set-up that is being built now — you will help shape it. Cross-discipline project teams; an electronics team of two engineers plus placement students; direct influence on the next-generation instruments.