William Leismer headshot

William Leismer

Electrical Engineer

No-stone-unturned hardware design, from architecture through production, plus AI-built software for niche engineering problems.

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Featured Work

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M.2 Platform Architecture

Modular carrier with high-speed Ethernet, DisplayPort-to-FPD-Link IV, and high-power-density motor control for rapid automotive prototyping

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Pareto AI Project Manager

Custom AI agent for project leadership with context-aware task prioritization and execution tracking

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High-Volume Automotive Hardware

Full-cycle ownership of DENSO instrument cluster and HUD programs from design through launch and customer support

About Me

Electrical Engineer with 9+ years of experience in PCB design, mixed-signal circuit design, and systems engineering across automotive, industrial metrology, and research sectors.

I specialize in full product lifecycle management from concept and schematic design through PCB layout, assembly, test validation, and customer support. Experienced in customer-facing technical collaboration at both DENSO and Ford Research & Advanced Engineering, leading on-site troubleshooting, product validation, and technical presentations.

My approach is no-stone-unturned hardware design: deliberate architecture, deep validation, and disciplined release to production. As a non-traditional coder, I use AI to build focused software that solves niche engineering problems and improves customer outcomes.

Industry Experience

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Automotive OEM Programs

High-volume instrument cluster and HUD systems for DENSO, plus Ford Research & Advanced Engineering rapid prototyping programs including autonomous shuttle drive-by-wire conversions.

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Research & Prototyping

Hardware and system design for Ford Research & Advanced Engineering programs. Modular M.2 embedded platform, motor controllers for experimental vehicle applications, and high-speed design (Ethernet, DisplayPort, FPD-Link IV).

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Industrial Metrology

Lead electrical engineer for product launch at k-Space Associates, driving process modernization with AI-assisted tooling, Git/GitHub traceability, and automation pipelines.

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Production Manufacturing

Custom automation tools for USB device programming, parts inventory management, and PCB design release workflows serving manufacturing and customer diagnostic needs.

Key Skills

PCB Design & Hardware

AI & Automation

Systems Engineering

Leadership & Collaboration

← Hover a skill to explore details
  • KiCAD, Altium Designer, EAGLE (Fusion360)
  • Mixed-Signal Circuit Design
  • High-Speed Differential Signaling (USB, LVDS, DisplayPort, Ethernet)
  • EMC/EMI Testing & Troubleshooting
  • Power Electronics (DC-DC, PoE, TEC)
  • SMT/THT Hand Assembly/Rework (0402, 0.5mm pitch)
  • Thermal Engineering & Validation
  • DVP&R Test Planning
  • AI-Assisted Coding of Custom Engineering Software
  • AI Adoption Leadership (Engineering Sub-Committee + Team Demos)
  • Pareto Project Manager AI Agent (Design, Deployment, Iteration)
  • KiCAD Automation Pipelines (ERC/DRC + Design Release Generation)
  • PowerShell/Python CLI and GUI Tools (Manufacturing + Customer Diagnostics)
  • Git/GitHub for PCB Traceability and Team Collaboration
  • Engineering Process Modernization (Standards, Templates, Release Discipline)
  • Drive-by-Wire ECU Design
  • Motor Controllers (20A, TMC4671)
  • Autonomous Vehicle Systems
  • Embedded Platforms (STM32, M.2)
  • USB/SPI/GPIO/CAN Interfaces
  • Capacitive Sensing Systems
  • Protocol Reverse Engineering (UART)
  • Light-based Metrology Integration
  • Cross-Functional Team Coordination
  • Project Management & Scheduling
  • Design Review Facilitation
  • Intern Mentoring & Training
  • Executive Presentations
  • Customer-Facing Technical Support
  • Budget & Vendor Management
  • Standards Development

Experience Timeline

k-Space Associates

Jan 2025 - Present

Lead Electrical Engineer for an industrial metrology product launch. Drive engineering process modernization with AI-assisted tooling, Git/GitHub PCB traceability, and automation that saves ~4.5 hours per design cycle. Serve as technical/project lead coordinating a 5-person cross-functional team.

Quantum Signal AI

Mar 2021 - Jan 2025

Hardware/system design engineer for Ford R&A programs. Delivered autonomous shuttle drive-by-wire conversions and architected a modular M.2 platform with dedicated function cards (high-power-density motor controller card, DisplayPort-to-FPD-Link IV interface card). Led customer-facing technical collaboration and engineering standards development.

DENSO International America

Sept 2017 - Mar 2021

Hardware/system design owner for high-volume instrument cluster and HUD programs. Owned full-cycle delivery from design through validation, launch support, and customer issue resolution; also led EMC activities and test automation (MATLAB/Python).

Engineering Internships

Summer 2013 - 2015

Executed early-career automation and manufacturing projects, including RADAR analysis automation (99% time reduction), PLC/network integration, and steel process improvement initiatives.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Trine University | Angola, IN | 2011-2015

Magna Cum Laude | Minors: Energy Engineering, Mathematics

Tau Beta Pi Eta Kappa Nu Alpha Chi IEEE Member

Let's Work Together

Interested in discussing PCB design, AI-enhanced workflows, or process automation? Get in touch!

Contact Me