Hardware Engineer

This role offers an experienced hardware engineer the opportunity to lead printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) development and support embedded electronics for an industrial product portfolio. You will drive circuit board design from early research and development concepts through to full-scale production, using Altium Designer and working closely with cross-functional teams. The position combines hands-on hardware design, project leadership, and mentoring responsibilities, with significant exposure to industrial standards, certifications, and collaboration with contract manufacturers and external engineering partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead PCBA development and support embedded electronics development for industrial products.
• Design circuit boards from initial R&D concept through to production, ensuring robust, manufacturable solutions.
• Use Altium Designer for schematic creation, bill of materials (BOM) design, PCB layout, library management, and overall development process control.
• Collaborate on cross-functional embedded product design and provide leadership on development projects.
• Apply and support compliance with industrial standards and certification requirements, including UL, CSA, CE, and FCC.
• Manage projects in partnership with contract manufacturers and outside engineering consultants, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
• Design and develop development testing setups and production validation test fixtures.
• Assist industrial engineers with electrical design questions and provide technical guidance on hardware-related issues.
• Lead other hardware engineers in developing and continuously improving engineering standards and procedures for electronics development.
• Mentor less-experienced hardware engineers and contribute to building a high-performing development team.
• Contribute to embedded electronics and firmware-related discussions to ensure cohesive hardware–software integration.

• 7–15 years of experience in hardware development with extensive R&D exposure.
• Proven experience leading PCBA development and embedded electronics projects for industrial applications.
• Strong background in circuit board design from R&D concept through production.
• Proficiency with Altium Designer, including schematic design, BOM creation, PCB layout, library management, and development process workflows.
• Hands-on experience in embedded hardware development and familiarity with embedded software and firmware concepts.
• Experience with development testing and production validation test fixture design.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects involving contract manufacturers and external engineering consultants.
• Exposure to industrial standards and certification processes such as UL, CSA, CE, and FCC.
• Experience leading or guiding other hardware engineers and contributing to the development of engineering standards and procedures.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to support industrial engineers and cross-functional teams.

• Cross-functional embedded product design experience, including collaboration with firmware and software teams.
• Experience leading embedded product development projects from concept through launch.
• background in both embedded software development and hardware design, enabling effective hardware–firmware integration.
• Interest in mentoring and developing junior hardware engineers to strengthen the overall team.
• Experience improving or implementing standardized engineering processes and best practices.

The role focuses on industrial electronics and embedded hardware development, with a strong emphasis on R&D and full product lifecycle ownership. You will work extensively with Altium Designer and related electronic design automation tools, as well as development and production validation test fixtures. The environment involves close collaboration with industrial engineers, cross-functional product teams, contract manufacturers, and external engineering consultants. Work is centered on ensuring that industrial products meet stringent standards such as UL, CSA, CE, and FCC, with continuous refinement of engineering standards and procedures for electronics development.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Glendale Heights, IL.

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $70.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Glendale Heights,IL.

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 15, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

Salary : $60 - $70