Systems Engineering Lead

Job Title: Electrical Systems Integration Engineer / Systems Engineering Lead

Job Description

The Electrical Systems Integration Engineer will lead the design, integration, and support of vehicle-level electrical systems for commercial vehicle upfits. This hands-on, system-level role focuses on electrical architecture, wiring harness integration, power distribution, and module communication, ensuring seamless interaction between OEM chassis electrical systems and customer equipment and controls. The position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems on actual vehicles and wants to grow into project leadership responsibilities. This is not a hardware or embedded software development role, but rather a position centered on how electrical systems function, interact, and perform in the field within a product engineering environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and integrate vehicle electrical systems that interface chassis wiring, harnesses, modules, and customer equipment for commercial vehicle upfits.
• Develop adapters and electrical solutions to connect OEM chassis electrical systems with upfit components and customer-installed equipment.
• Interpret and utilize OEM electrical documentation, schematics, and interface information to ensure accurate and reliable integration.
• Collaborate with chassis manufacturers and suppliers to obtain electrical architecture, interface, and integration details for various platforms.
• Support internal engineering, manufacturing, and distributor teams by troubleshooting electrical and wiring issues on vehicles and related equipment.
• Perform electrical testing and diagnostics on vehicle and body electrical systems to verify performance, reliability, and compliance with design intent.
• Author Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) to implement updated wiring architectures, components, or system improvements and document changes clearly.
• Apply mechanical aptitude to develop brackets, mounting solutions, and physical integration concepts for electrical components when needed.
• Participate in cross-functional projects involving controls, automation, diagnostics, telematics, and safety-related electrical features.
• Use hands-on lab, prototype, and vehicle build activities to validate electrical system designs and integration strategies.
• Communicate clearly with engineering, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams to explain designs, integration approaches, and troubleshooting steps.
• Travel occasionally (approximately 5% domestic travel) to support field troubleshooting, validation activities, and customer or distributor visits.

Essential Skills

• Experience working with 12V vehicle electrical systems in automotive, commercial, off-road, or industrial applications.
• Ability to create, read, and understand electrical schematics and wiring diagrams for vehicle and equipment systems.
• Strong understanding of vehicle electrical integration, including power distribution, grounding, fusing, harness routing, and protection.
• Working knowledge of CAN communication and vehicle diagnostics, including basic understanding of CAN bus behavior and troubleshooting.
• Hands-on electrical troubleshooting experience using common diagnostic tools and methods on vehicles or similar systems.
• Ability to think at the system level, understanding how electrical, mechanical, and control elements interact in a vehicle environment.
• 2–5 years of experience in vehicle, automotive, commercial, off-road, or industrial electrical systems (or equivalent hands-on project/design team experience for early-career candidates).
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with engineering, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams.
• Comfort working in both office and shop or lab environments, including normal standing, bending, walking, and lifting as needed for hands-on work.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with wire harness design, routing, and protection for vehicle or industrial applications.
• Exposure to PLC systems, industrial controls, or vehicle automation and their interaction with vehicle electrical systems.
• Familiarity with electrical CAD tools such as SolidWorks Electrical, ProCable, or similar software.
• Mechanical design experience or strong mechanical aptitude supporting bracket design, mounting solutions, and physical integration of components.
• Telematics, diagnostics, or vehicle data systems experience, including working with mixed electrical and data architectures.
• Experience with mixed voltage systems; exposure to 120V systems is a plus.
• Hands-on lab, prototype, or vehicle build experience, including testing and validation of integrated systems.
• Experience with automotive or off-highway applications, particularly integrating upfits with major OEM chassis platforms.
• Experience or familiarity with chassis from large OEMs (for example, major automotive or off-highway manufacturers) is highly beneficial due to the types of chassis used for integration.
• Participation in applied engineering projects or design teams such as SAE Formula, Formula Electric, Hybrid, Solar Vehicle, or Mechatronics capstone projects is strongly encouraged and considered valuable.

Work Environment

The role operates within a product engineering department that supports commercial vehicle upfits, combining office-based design work with hands-on activities in lab and shop environments. You will spend time at a desk reviewing OEM documentation, electrical schematics, and CAD data, as well as time on or around vehicles performing electrical testing, diagnostics, and integration work. The position involves normal standing, bending, walking, and lifting associated with working on vehicles, wiring harnesses, and electrical components in a shop or lab setting. You will collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams, and occasionally interact with chassis manufacturers and suppliers. The environment encourages practical problem-solving, cross-functional collaboration, and the use of modern electrical CAD and diagnostic tools. Domestic travel of approximately 5% may be required to support field troubleshooting, validation, and customer or distributor visits.

This is a Contract position based out of Quincy, IL.

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $60.00/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 Quincy,IL.

This position is anticipated to close on May 19, 2026.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC—with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000 extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.

Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.

Salary : $45 - $60