Hardware Development Engineer

Role: Hardware Development Engineer III

Location: Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Employment Type: Contract

Job Summary:

This is a hands-on hardware engineering position covering the complete product-development lifecycle. Responsibilities will include schematic design, circuit development, component selection, simulation, PCB layout, prototype board bring-up, laboratory testing, debugging, EMC testing, compliance verification, and product qualification.

The ideal candidate will have strong electronic hardware design experience combined with hands-on experience in prototype debugging, board bring-up, laboratory testing, and compliance testing.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop electronic hardware for PLCs, industrial computers, HMI products, and automation-control systems.
• Develop analog, digital, mixed-signal, processor-based, and DC power-conversion circuits.
• Create and review schematics and support PCB design and layout using Mentor Graphics and Altium.
• Contribute to product architecture, sub-circuit design, component selection, design integration, and hardware verification.
• Program, analyze, debug, and troubleshoot electronic hardware prototypes.
• Perform PCB board bring-up and functional verification of newly manufactured boards.
• Develop hardware verification plans, test procedures, design documentation, and formal test reports.
• Execute hands-on laboratory testing using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power meters, power supplies, debuggers, calibrated ESD guns, and environmental/EMC test chambers.
• Perform EMC and compliance testing, including radiated emissions, conducted emissions, immunity, and electrostatic-discharge (ESD) testing.
• Support Ethernet performance and compliance testing for industrial communication products.
• Investigate hardware failures, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective design changes.
• Work with technical peers to develop automated tests and hardware design simulations.
• Use Python to automate laboratory tests, data collection, and test-result analysis where appropriate.
• Participate in design reviews and collaborate with firmware, software, mechanical, test, manufacturing, compliance, and quality teams.
• Research new technologies, components, circuit-design methods, and engineering tools.
• Support continuous improvement of hardware development and laboratory testing practices.
• Contribute to an Agile product-development environment and communicate progress, risks, and technical findings to project stakeholders.
• Lead selected technical initiatives, mentor junior engineers, and help establish engineering best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• 5 years of hands-on electronic hardware product-development experience.
• Practical experience with analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design.
• Experience with electronic or PCB design, including:
• Schematic capture
• Component selection
• Circuit analysis
• Design verification
• Working knowledge of Mentor Graphics and Altium design tools.
• Ability to read, interpret, develop, and troubleshoot electronic schematics.
• Strong understanding of circuit theory and electronic-component operation.
• Hands-on experience with prototype board bring-up, debugging, and hardware verification.
• Laboratory experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers, power supplies, and other electronic test equipment.
• Hands-on experience with EMC or compliance testing, including emissions, immunity, or ESD testing.
• Experience preparing engineering documentation, test procedures, test results, and technical reports.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional engineering environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience developing hardware for industrial automation, automotive, medical device, aerospace, or other regulated product environments.
• Experience designing:
• Microprocessor-based products
• Digital logic circuits
• Analog circuits
• Programmable devices
• CPLDs
• FPGAs
• DC power-conversion circuits
• Knowledge of PLCs, industrial computers, HMI products, or automation-control systems.
• Experience with products comparable to the Rockwell ControlLogix 5590 platform.
• Familiarity with EMC standards such as IEC 61000.
• Experience with UL product-safety or compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of functional-safety principles and standards such as IEC 61508.
• Experience performing Ethernet performance or compliance testing.
• Python experience for automated hardware testing and data collection.
• Experience working within a scaled Agile product-development environment.