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Senior Motor Design Engineer

Sensata Technologies, Inc.

Vista, CAFull-time$147–202K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$147–202K/yr
Location
Vista, CA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Senior Motor Design Engineer leads design and development of BLDC motors, voice coil actuators, and precision electromagnetic motion-control solutions for aerospace and defense applications. The role covers electromagnetic design, analysis, optimization, and validation, with collaboration across engineering, manufacturing, quality, program management, and sales. It also provides technical leadership, customer support, and mentorship throughout product development.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Teamwork, requiredMultitasking, requiredCommunication, requiredOrganization, requiredPlanning, requiredTime Management, requiredIntegrity, requiredAccountability, requiredMicrosoft Office, requiredInterpersonal Skills, requiredCollaboration, requiredElectromagnetic Theory, nice to havePermanent Magnet Motors, nice to haveMagnetic Circuits, nice to havePower Conversion, nice to haveThermal Management, nice to haveMotor Drive Electronics, nice to haveControl Systems, nice to have

Qualifications

University Degree or Equivalent Experience, required8+ Years Motor Design Experience, nice to haveITAR/EAR Work Authorization Eligibility, required

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Tuition Assistance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Parental Leave

Full job description

Vista, CA

Full time

IRC98682

The Senior Motor Design Engineer is responsible for leading the design and development of advanced Brushless DC (BLDC) Motors, Voice Coil Actuators (VCAs), and other precision electromagnetic motion-control solutions for Aerospace & Defense applications.

This role is responsible for the electromagnetic design, analysis, optimization, and validation of high-performance motors and actuators used in mission-critical systems including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), missile guidance and control, avionics, gimbal stabilization, electro-mechanical actuation, and next-generation aerospace platforms. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in electromagnetic design, finite element analysis (FEA), magnetic circuit optimization, motor performance modeling, and multidisciplinary product development.

As a technical leader, this individual will collaborate closely with Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Sales teams to deliver innovative products that achieve industry-leading performance, reliability, and SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) objectives.

General Responsibilities

  • Advises on the creation of designs within inter-disciplinary teams to address complex product design and manufacturing challenges

  • Leads feasibility studies and testing on new and modified designs

  • Advises on development testing, engineering analysis, qualification testing, production launch

  • Leads failure analysis investigations and engineering evaluations

  • Maintains product documentation (drawings and specifications) and lessons learned; produce design reports, test reports, operating manuals and test procedures

  • Leads a team that includes senior engineers/managers for the purpose of engaging with customers in soliciting product specifications requirements, schedule expectations and budget

Experience / Qualifications

  • A university degree required (i.e. Bachelors degree) or equivalent relevant work experience

  • Must be a team player able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to handle multiple competing tasks and demands

  • Strong communication skills; oral, written and presentation

  • Strong organization, planning and time management skills to achieve results

  • Strong personal and professional ethical values and integrity

  • Holds self-accountable to achieving goals and standards

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel)

  • Strong interpersonal & collaboration skills to work effectively with all levels of the organization including suppliers and/or external customers

Electromagnetic Design & Analysis

  • Lead the electromagnetic design and development of BLDC motors, voice coil actuators, torque motors, and other custom electromechanical devices.

  • Design stators, rotors, windings, magnetic circuits, and permanent magnet topologies to meet performance requirements.

  • Develop motor architectures optimized for torque density, efficiency, dynamic response, thermal performance, and reliability.

Advanced Modeling & Simulation

  • Utilize electromagnetic analysis tools such as ANSYS Maxwell, JMAG, MotorCAD, Flux, COMSOL, or equivalent simulation platforms

  • Evaluate various magnet materials, winding schemes, lamination materials, and motor topologies.

Product Development & Innovation

  • Lead development of next-generation motion-control products.

  • Translate customer requirements into optimized electromagnetic designs.

  • Support technology roadmaps and advanced research initiatives.

Cross-Functional Engineering Leadership

  • Partner closely with Mechanical, Electronics, Manufacturing, and Program Management teams throughout the product lifecycle.

  • Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, and technical decision-making.

  • Provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) guidance.

Customer & Technical Support

  • Interface directly with aerospace and defense customers on technical requirements, design reviews, and development programs.

  • Support proposal development, technical presentations, and customer-facing engineering discussions.

  • Contribute to business capture efforts and new product opportunities.

Technical Mentorship

  • Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across engineering teams.

  • Establish best practices and design standards for electromagnetic product development.

Additional Experience and Qualifications Preferred

  • Minimum 8 years of experience designing BLDC motors, voice coil actuators, or related electromagnetic devices.

  • Strong understanding of:

  • Electromagnetic theory

  • Permanent magnet motors

  • Magnetic circuits

  • Power conversion principles

  • Thermal management

  • Experience developing custom motors from concept through production.

  • Knowledge of motor drive electronics and control systems.

Additional Requirements

This position may require eligibility to obtain authorization under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Candidates must be legally authorized to work on applicable Aerospace & Defense programs.

Travel: Up to 15%

#LI-JL1

Base Salary Range:

$147,120.00 - $202,290.00

At Sensata, our employees are the key to our success and growth. We recognize that each individual brings their own unique experience, therefore the base salary range information shown above is a general guideline only. Sensata considers several factors when extending an offer, including, but not limited to, a candidate’s experience and qualifications, as well as internal equity, market and business considerations. In addition to base salary, Sensata offers competitive medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plans, along with education reimbursement, wellness programs, a 401(k) retirement plan with Company matching, and a variety of paid time off, such as vacation or flex-time, sick, bereavement, and parental leave. Certain positions are also eligible for short-term incentive and long-term incentive programs.

Smarter Together

  • Collaborating at Sensata means working with some of the world’s most talented people in an enriching environment that is constantly pushing towards the next best thing

  • Employees work across functions, countries and cultures gaining new perspectives through mutual respect and open communication

  • As OneSensata, we are working together to make things work together

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Sensing is what we do.

In fact, our name Sensata comes from the Latin word sensate for ‘those gifted with sense’. Our focus on sensing is also reflected in our logo, which spells Sensata in Braille.

Sensata Technologies is a global industrial technology company striving to create a safer, cleaner, more efficient and electrified world. Through its broad portfolio of mission-critical sensors, electrical protection components and sensor-rich solutions, Sensata helps its customers address increasingly complex engineering and operating performance requirements. With more than 18,000 employees and global operations in 13 countries, Sensata serves customers in the automotive, heavy vehicle & off-road, industrial, and aerospace markets.

Note to applicants for positions in the United States:

If you are an individual who requires a reasonable accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which you applied, please make a request to the recruiter or contact [email protected]

Diversity Statement

We are dedicated to ensuring our employees feel a sense of belonging (https://www.sensata.com/sites/default/files/a/Sensata%20DEI%20Policy%20FINAL.pdf) and respect every day. We believe that every individual has unique insights that others can learn from. Working at Sensata means you can bring your whole self to the table. Our goal is to achieve fair representation of women, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and all types of diversity among all levels in our organization.

Note to applicants for positions in the United States:

Sensata Technologies, Inc. (US) is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.

View The EEO is the Law poster https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm and its supplement https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm

Sensata Technologies, Inc. (US) participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/EVerifyParticipationPoster.pdf

How this job compares

Set against the 10,073 open Electrical Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$147–202K/yr
  • California median$128–186K/yr1,034 salary ranges
  • US median$105–165K/yr6,640 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $175K, is 10% above the California median midpoint ($158K) — in the middle half of Electrical Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 1,273 open Electrical Engineer jobs in California and 10,073 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience; Electrical Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (8,444 postings).
Education
6,495 of the 10,073 open Electrical Engineer jobs (64%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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