A Day in the Life of an Infineon Test Development Engineer
Explore what it’s like to be an Infineon engineer. As a part of our Test Technology division, the day is spent designing, developing, and implementing hardware solutions that tests and characterizes Infineon’s latest products. To better understand what’s involved in this integral position, we’ve asked Hardware Engineer Emma Duque about the tasks and challenges she faces on a daily basis.
From day-to-day duties and technical challenges to our ongoing well-being programs and initiatives, Emma Duque shares her weekly experiences over the past nineteen years as a Test Hardware[ELD1] Development Engineer at Infineon.
Read on for an Emma’s overview of her regular tasks, challenges, and well-being opportunities at Infineon. If this role at and culture at Infineon sounds like a fit, visit our Careers page to browse our open Test Development roles.
The Day-to-Day
Infineon test development engineers are vital to the reliability of our products, ensuring that our devices work as intended and helping to inform Infineon innovations.
Just ask Emma Duque, a longtime Infineon hardware engineer whose day-to-day consists of a wide range of technical activities across a variety of projects:
Emma Duque, Test Development Engineer: “A typical day would include schematic design, providing guidance and reviewing PCB layout designs, procuring parts for my own boards, engaging with my PCB fabrication vendor and coordinating builds at my Assembly House. This is of course in addition to responding to emails and attending meetings.”
Emma also visits the lab on occasion to help with hardware setup and technician training, supplying other teams with design specs, and more:
“On occasion I breadboard and evaluate new circuits in the lab, assist in signal characterization & benchmark efforts (i.e. capturing waveforms, helping set up hardware and lab tools, etc.), and help train technicians on miscellaneous tasks such as repair, rework, and data collection.
I also support Sort and Final Test by providing reference design info as needed. Once in a while, I even write code for Excel macros.”
Common Challenges
Big challenges drive breakthroughs. Test development engineers are constantly swinging at curveballs, from finalizing design requirements with the client to handling parts shortages. When asked about her daily challenges, Emma noted a mix of technical and conceptual hurdles that she overcomes week by week:
Emma Duque: “As a hardware engineer, day-to-day challenges include prioritizing design schedules and finalizing requirements, supplier lead times, and parts availability. Implementing new design techniques also pose a challenge, as well as considering trade-offs when developing new hardware to support higher speeds and new specifications.”
Still, your day-to-day life as a test development engineer goes well beyond daily responsibilities and everyday challenges. Your health, well-being, and work-life balance are critically important, a fact not lost on Infineon’s wellness initiatives.
A Daily Balance
At Infineon, we deeply care about your personal well-being. Be it home or the office, we believe you should work where you’re most comfortable. Thanks to our hybrid work model, test development engineers at Infineon can switch between home, the office, and the lab as they see fit. Maybe you’re more comfortable crafting designs at home, while the office is meant for hands-on work or collaboration with other departments. Either way, your work style is supported here at Infineon. See what Emma has to say about her work-life balance, courtesy of a flexible schedule:
Emma Duque: “I love the hybrid work model; I can come to the office as needed, such as when I need to stop by the lab, and being at home is helpful for me. There are no distractions while I’m working on a design, so I tend to focus better in my home office. It’s great that Infineon gives us the option to work where we’re most comfortable.”
On top of a hybrid schedule, Infineon prioritizes your health with a range of wellness programs and initiatives:
Emma Duque: “Infineon’s InFit program includes virtual fitness classes that you can dial into, and a meditation program where you’re led by an instructor. The company promotes lots of purpose-driven walks and runs too. In the past, we’ve done a St. Jude Walk/Run and a JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, plus a handful of other health-based events.”
Are You Up for the Challenge?
Experience an exciting role at the forefront of technology while working at a company that values your work-life balance as a Test Development Engineer at Infineon.