Electrical Engineer - Laboratory Automation and Sample Processing

Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Contract Duration: 6 - 12 months

Employment type: Contract through ASI with potential for direct hire by the client

Position Summary

Automated Systems, Inc. (ASI) is seeking an Electrical Engineer to support equipment development for our client. The anticipated focus is automated patient-sample handling and preparation for cancer diagnostic testing. Potential applications include robotic tube and plate handling, liquid dispensing, sample identification, and integration with laboratory instruments. The role spans concept, design, integration, verification, and continuing engineering, with extensive use of SOLIDWORKS Electrical and SOLIDWORKS PDM.

Key Responsibilities

•   Design electrical hardware for automated sample-processing equipment, integrating power supplies, motor drives, pumps, valves, sensors, controllers, and safety interlocks.

•   Create schematics, wiring diagrams, cable and harness documentation, panel layouts, and bills of materials using SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

•   Manage controlled documentation, revisions, approvals, releases, and engineering changes using SOLIDWORKS PDM.

•   Partner with mechanical and software engineers to integrate motion, liquid-handling components, barcode readers, and instrument interfaces into compact assemblies.

•   Select components, calculate electrical loads, and address grounding, shielding, cable routing, and signal integrity; coordinate with engineering leads and vendors.

•   Build and troubleshoot prototypes; verify electrical functions, sensor feedback, interlocks, and fault recovery; support integrated equipment verification and design validation.

•   Support equipment build and transfer, test fixture development, and deployment; investigate failures affecting sample handling, repeatability, and throughput.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

•   Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field; at least three years of electrical engineering experience, with five or more preferred.

•   Strong proficiency with SOLIDWORKS Electrical and experience using SOLIDWORKS PDM for controlled engineering workflows.

•   Experience designing electrical hardware for laboratory automation, analytical instruments, medical devices, or precision automated equipment.

•   Experience producing electrical drawings and working within design-control processes in a regulated industry.

•   Hands-on electrical integration and troubleshooting skills, including motors, sensors, and control interfaces; effective collaboration with engineering, laboratory, and quality teams.

Preferred Experience

•   Automated liquid handling, robotic sample handling, barcode tracking, or integration of laboratory instruments.

•   Medical-device design controls, requirements traceability, risk management, electrical safety, and electromagnetic compatibility testing.