Senior Staff Engineer (f/m/d)

Company Description

Renesas is one of the top global semiconductor companies in the world. We strive to develop a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter world, and our goal is to make every endpoint intelligent by offering product solutions in the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT markets. Our robust product portfolio includes world-leading MCUs, SoCs, analog and power products, plus Winning Combination solutions that curate these complementary products. We are a key supplier to the world’s leading manufacturers of electronics you rely on every day; you may not see our products, but they are all around you.

Renesas employs roughly 21,000 people in more than 30 countries worldwide. As a global team, our employees actively embody the Renesas Culture, our guiding principles based on five key elements: Transparent, Agile, Global, Innovative, and Entrepreneurial. Renesas believes in, and has a commitment to, diversity and inclusion, with initiatives and a leadership team dedicated to its resources and values. At Renesas, we want to build a sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. Join us and build your future by being part of what’s next in electronics and the world.

Job Description

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Application and Solution Architect to define, develop, and drive innovative semiconductor-based system solutions for next-generation small and large appliances (e.g., washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, coffee machines, and other white goods).

In this role, you will bridge market requirements, user experience, and engineering feasibility to ensure our semiconductor solutions deliver high energy efficiency, robust performance, safety compliance, and cost-optimized system integration across appliance platforms.

You will work closely with Product Groups, Sales and FAE, leading Customers, and Ecosystem Partners to shape platform architectures and solution roadmaps that enable our customers to accelerate their appliance innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and architect system-level solutions for small and large appliances using MCUs, SoCs, power ICs, sensors, and connectivity components.
• Translate customer needs and application trends into solution requirements and contribute to product definitions and roadmaps.
• Align with Product Groups and collaborate cross-functionally to ensure system integrity and customer value.
• Specify HW/SW partitioning, interfaces, analog/mixed-signal blocks, power management, and motor control strategies.
• Develop solution specifications, SRDs, simulations, and reference designs tailored to end-equipment needs.
• Conduct system modeling and simulation using tools like SPICE, Simulink, PLECS, and thermal/magnetic analysis.
• Lead or support customer engagements, co-development projects, and application-level problem solving.
• Ensure compliance with appliance safety, EMC, and reliability standards (e.g., IEC/UL household appliance standards).
• Analyze energy efficiency regulations, eco-design requirements, and lifecycle cost constraints to guide design choices.
• Track technology and user experience trends in the appliance industry (e.g., smart features, IoT connectivity, predictive maintenance) and integrate them into solution strategies.
• Prepare technology and application roadmaps aligned with customer problems, market trends, and PG strategies.
• Drive PoC development for new technologies/products and validate solution concepts.
• Organize internal technical trainings on system-level applications.
• Collaborate with partner teams to assess third-party competencies and enable integration.
• Co-create solutions with customers, internal teams, and ecosystem partners.
• Engage with startups and universities to explore emerging requirements and prototype new ideas.

Success Metrics & KPIs

• Reference Designs Delivered: Number of complete reference designs or platform architectures created per year.
• Design-In Wins: Number and revenue potential of customer projects influenced or enabled by proposed architectures.
• Time-to-Concept: Average lead time from concept proposal to validated proof-of-concept (target: < 6 months).
• Cross-Functional Engagement: Number of successful collaborations with product groups, marketing, and R&D teams (tracked via joint projects).
• Partner Ecosystem Expansion: Number of new external technology partners or universities engaged and onboarded per year.
• Energy Efficiency Gains: Quantified system-level energy savings achieved in appliance reference designs (e.g., % vs. previous generation).
• Customer Feedback Score: Post-engagement satisfaction rating from OEM/Tier-1 customers.
• Training Impact: Number of internal engineers trained annually and feedback rating from attendees.
• Standards Compliance Success: Ratio of first-pass compliance tests passed for safety/EMC on developed reference designs.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor-based system development or application engineering, ideally with white goods or other appliance platforms.
• Proven track record in system architecture, platform design, or embedded development for small or large appliances.
• Deep understanding of embedded systems, power electronics, motor drives (BLDC, inverter), energy management, sensors, and connectivity technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi, BLE, Matter, PLC).
• Familiarity with appliance safety and EMC standards, diagnostics, and reliability engineering.
• Proficiency in system-level modeling and simulation tools (MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, SystemC, or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of embedded firmware structures, and edge/cloud connectivity stacks.
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-functional communication skills, able to translate between customer, business, and engineering needs.

Nice To Have

• Experience with functional safety (IEC 60730, IEC 60335) or cyber-security (IEC 62443) in appliance systems.
• Knowledge of AI/ML on edge devices for smart features (e.g., adaptive wash cycles, predictive maintenance).
• Familiarity with digital twin techniques or virtual prototyping for appliance platforms.
• Experience with energy efficiency design standards (e.g., EU EcoDesign, Energy Star).

Additional Information

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape cutting-edge semiconductor solutions for the global appliance industry.
• Dynamic and collaborative environment with flat hierarchies and strong technical ownership.
• Direct impact on product strategy, customer innovation, and real-world consumer applications.
• Competitive compensation, flexible working models, and international career development opportunities.

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’ As the industry’s leading expert in embedded processing with unmatched quality and system-level know-how, we have evolved to provide scalable and comprehensive semiconductor solutions for automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT industries based on the broadest product portfolio, including High Performance Computing, Embedded Processing, Analog & Connectivity, and Power.
 
With a diverse team of over 21,000 professionals in more than 30 countries, we continue to expand our boundaries to offer enhanced user experiences through digitalization and usher into a new era of innovation. We design and develop sustainable, power-efficient solutions today that help people and communities thrive tomorrow, ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’     
 
At Renesas, you can: 

• Launch and advance your career in technical and business roles across four Product Groups and various corporate functions. You will have the opportunities to explore our hardware and software capabilities and try new things.  
• Make a real impact by developing innovative products and solutions to meet our global customers' evolving needs and help make people’s lives easier, safe and secure. 
• Maximize your performance and wellbeing in our flexible and inclusive work environment. Our people-first culture and global support system, including the remote work option and Employee Resource Groups, will help you excel from the first day.    

Are you ready to own your success and make your mark?  

Join Renesas. Let’s Shape the Future together.  

Renesas Electronics is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to supporting diversity and fostering a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information, please read our Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

We have adopted a hybrid model that gives employees the ability to work remotely two days a week while ensuring that we come together as a team in the office the rest of the time. The designated in-office days are Tuesday through Thursday for innovation, collaboration and continuous learning.