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Senior Design Engineer Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

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Senior Design Engineer information

See Madison, WI salary details

$63.5K

$122.4K

$193K

How much do senior design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior design engineer in Madison, WI is $122,392.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $95,700.00 and $139,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior design engineer do?

A Senior Design Engineer is responsible for leading the design and development of products, systems, or components, often within engineering or manufacturing industries. They create detailed technical drawings and specifications, oversee project timelines, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure designs meet safety, quality, and efficiency standards. Additionally, they mentor junior engineers, troubleshoot design challenges, and may interact with clients or stakeholders to clarify requirements and present solutions. Their role combines technical expertise, project management, and leadership skills.

How does a senior design engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during a product development cycle?

Senior Design Engineers frequently work alongside professionals from manufacturing, quality assurance, project management, and marketing to ensure the successful development and launch of products. They lead design reviews, gather input from other departments, and address technical challenges collaboratively. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to balance design intent with practical constraints such as cost, manufacturability, and regulatory requirements. Regular meetings and iterative feedback loops are a standard part of the process, making teamwork and adaptability essential for success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior design engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Design Engineer, you need a strong background in engineering principles, advanced problem-solving abilities, and a relevant bachelor's or master's degree in engineering. Proficiency with CAD software, simulation tools, and familiarity with industry standards or certifications such as PE (Professional Engineer) are typically required. Leadership, effective communication, and project management skills set top performers apart in this role. These competencies ensure the delivery of innovative, reliable designs while leading teams and projects to successful outcomes.

What is the difference between Senior Design Engineer vs Mechanical Design Engineer?

AspectSenior Design EngineerMechanical Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in engineering, experience in design, possibly professional engineering licenseBachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field, design experience
Work EnvironmentDesign teams, project management, cross-disciplinary collaborationDesign and development of mechanical components, CAD work, prototype testing
Employer & Industry UsageEngineering firms, manufacturing, aerospace, automotiveManufacturing, product design, machinery development

The main difference is that a Senior Design Engineer typically has more experience, leadership responsibilities, and may oversee projects, while a Mechanical Design Engineer focuses on creating and testing mechanical components. Both roles require similar technical skills and work in related environments, but the senior position involves more oversight and strategic input.

What are the most commonly searched types of Design Engineer jobs in Madison, WI?

The most popular types of Design Engineer jobs in Madison, WI are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Design Engineer jobs in Madison, WI look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Design Engineer jobs in Madison, WI are:

What cities near Madison, WI are hiring for Senior Design Engineer jobs?

Cities near Madison, WI with the most Senior Design Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Design Engineer job openings in Madison, WI as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 67% Full Time, and 33% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $122,392 per year, or $58.8 per hour.

Senior Design Engineer - Electronic Integration

Madison, WI • On-site

Sub-Zero Group, Inc.
Manufacturing • 1 - 5K employees

$105K - $144K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 5 days ago


Job description

Overview
Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, the leading manufacturer of luxury kitchen appliances, is a longstanding, family-owned company in the Madison area. Recognized for thoughtful design and a commitment to performance and quality, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove are the refrigeration, cooking, and dishwashing specialists found in the world's most luxurious homes. We look for team members who are driven by innovation and excellence, striving to serve our customers by doing what is right-with integrity, teamwork, and accountability.
The New Product Development Team is integral to the success of defining and bringing innovative products to market. We are seeking an experienced and technically driven engineer to lead the definition, design, integration, and validation of embedded and electromechanical systems for new product lines and features. Areas of skill and expertise commonly leveraged include embedded system architecture, controls development, electromechanical system design, wire harnessing best practices, system integration, and collaborative problem-solving with cross functional groups.
As a Senior Design Engineer, you will apply advanced engineering, system design, and product development practices to deliver best-in-class luxury appliances. This role operates at the system level, shaping product intent into clear requirements, defining robust architectures, and leading integration across hardware, software, and electromechanical subsystems from concept through production.
Continual growth and development are important aspects of this position. If you are motivated by solving complex problems, influencing product definition, and owning part designs through production, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of kitchen appliances.
Primary Responsibilities:
  • Facilitate early-phase product and system definition by collaborating with product management, industrial design, user experience, compliance, reliability, manufacturing, quality, and service stakeholders to elicit, analyze, and refine customer, business, and regulatory needs into clear system-level requirements and constraints.
  • Lead system-level architecture and design for embedded control systems, defining and owning system, subsystem, and interface requirements with traceability through implementation, verification, and validation.
  • Work with internal and external teams to design, prototype, and integrate embedded software, electronics, electromechanical, and thermal subsystems into cohesive, production-ready, mass-manufacturable systems.
  • Evaluate system designs through modeling, simulation, benchmarking, laboratory testing, and data analysis; define verification strategies and develop test procedures to validate performance, safety, and reliability requirements.
  • Partner with manufacturing, suppliers, and regulatory teams to ensure system performance, safety, reliability, and cost targets are achieved.
  • Present system architectures and design solutions for review by engineering peers, product teams, and leadership.
  • Provide technical guidance and expertise through root cause analysis discussions, and in the creation, verification and validation of production specifications and requirements
  • Mentor engineers in design decisions, integration best practices, and structured problem-solving.
  • Plan, schedule, and manage work to meet project milestones and cross-functional development timelines.

Qualifications:
Education:
  • Bachelor's or better in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field.

Required:
  • 7+ years: Relevant engineering experience
  • 3+ years: Relevant software, hardware, and/or controls design experience
  • Applied creativity, proactive approach, and eagerness to overcome development efforts and provide effective/successful design solutions for new products.
  • Strong technical, written, oral, and team communication skills.
  • Code capable in C, C++, Python, or similar

Preferred:
  • Team and individual experience in approaching new, nuanced, large and/or long-term projects/problems/tasks requiring coordinated planning for success
  • Wire harnessing and system integration.
  • Electromechanical subsystem design.
  • Understanding/knowledge of consumer electronic design and production manufacturing processes
  • Rapid prototyping
    • Proof-of-concept and/or functional/feasible/testable implementation-of-concept.
    • Quick-turn technologies and tools such as 3D Printing and/or other means of prototyping physical parts/assemblies.
    • Circuit/PCB design/analysis.
    • Embedded programming and/or "input/output" software development.
  • Data capture and analysis.
  • Cloud Computing or IoT implementation.

We value our employees by providing:
  • Competitive compensation based on skills
  • Industry leading health, dental, and vision plans
  • Generous 401 (K) savings and profit sharing
  • On-site UW Health clinic, fitness center, and walking paths
  • Education assistance and internal training programs
  • Electric vehicle charging
  • Maternity & paternity leave
  • Interested in learning more on our robust benefits package we offer? Click here!

This position requires a pre-employment drug/alcohol test and background check, which will be administered after a conditional job offer is extended. A negative drug/alcohol test result is required for employment. Refusal to take the test or a positive result may disqualify a candidate from further consideration. All drug testing will be conducted in accordance with federal and state laws.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.