SW engineers seem to be able to work from wherever they want as long as they don't need to have a HW part to be constantly debugging. For HW design engineers I find it is almost impossible to find a remote based job. I understand that if you need to do testing then you need equipment and makes sense to be based on a location. However, if you are just doing circuit analysis, design and simulation using CAD software why are companies still not happy with the engineer working outside the office?

 

You need to be within an arms length when the feces contacts the oscillating blades.

 

However, if you are just doing circuit analysis, design and simulation using CAD software why are companies still not happy with the engineer working outside the office?

Because they want you within arm's reach so they can grab you by the scruff of the neck in those unfortunate cases when something doesn't work right.

In all my 40+ years as a design engineer, I've never been in a position where I was just doing circuit analysis, design and simulation using CAD software; Production, Purchasing, and Testing all required at least occasional support, as did customers.

 

You need to be there for to see how problems evolve....that you will be asked to solve.

 

On rare occasions I have done work for a regular customer and managed to do it _mostly_ remotely. Questions were handled by e-mail and phone conversions.

Keep in mind this is very rare and definitely an exception.