Senior Hardware Engineer

Actalent is seeking a Hardware Engineer to lead and review the design and development of electronic hardware for automotive embedded systems.

About the role

The Hardware Engineer drives the creation of robust automotive embedded hardware solutions, ensuring compliance with industry and regulatory standards, and provides technical leadership to a small hardware team. This role collaborates closely with cross-functional core teams and customers to deliver innovative, reliable products that meet performance, quality, and timing targets.

The role operates in a professional engineering environment focused on the design and development of embedded automotive hardware and related electronic systems. You will work with modern schematic entry and PCB layout tools, including the Cadence tool suite, as well as analysis and simulation tools for WCCA, thermal analysis, electrical analysis, and EMC simulations. Collaboration with global teams is common, and you will participate in structured automotive development processes, including APQP and project launch cycles.

Responsibilities

• Use the ALM tool (Codebeamer) to analyze requirements and derive hardware design, verification, and validation criteria.
• Lead and review engineering activities to design, prototype, and validate electronic hardware solutions in line with customer and internal core team timing requirements.
• Maintain regular communication with internal and external stakeholders on technical issues to ensure clear understanding of needs and reliable delivery of design commitments.
• Actively participate in program core team meetings and present defined engineering deliverables in a proactive and structured manner.
• Develop engineered product solutions that meet customer needs by creatively using core part designs and technologies while ensuring compliance with IPC and other regulatory standards.
• Apply best practices such as Worst Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA), thermal analysis, electrical analysis, EMC simulations, and other standard engineering tools to optimize hardware design.
• Establish and maintain comprehensive records of technical information, process methods and standards, design details, program documentation, and other records that support reliable intellectual property and patent activities.
• Ensure designs are reviewed from a Design for Excellence (DFX) perspective, including Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Design for Cost (DFC), Design for Testability (DFT), and Design for Reliability (DFR), to meet product targets for quality, cost, and performance.
• Provide technical leadership to a small hardware team by offering direction, guidance, and mentorship in embedded hardware design activities.
• Work with schematic entry and PCB layout design tools to produce high-quality schematics and layouts that meet functional, EMC, and manufacturability requirements.
• Support and maintain hardware component, footprint, and symbol libraries for use in global designs to ensure consistency and reuse across projects.
• Integrate standard automotive communication bus hardware, such as LIN and CAN, into embedded hardware designs.
• Ensure hardware designs meet OEM testing specifications, design requirements, and automotive project launch cycle expectations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support APQP processes and align hardware deliverables with overall program milestones.
• Complete additional assignments, duties, and projects as needed to support engineering and program objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or Mechatronics Engineering.
• Preferred 5+ years of experience in an automotive embedded hardware product design role.
• Proven ability to lead a small hardware team by providing technical direction and guidance in embedded hardware design.
• Strong experience in embedded hardware design for automotive applications.
• Hands-on experience with schematic entry and PCB layout design tools and processes; experience with the Cadence tool suite is an asset.
• Proficiency in PCB and schematic design, including layout design and design for EMC.
• Experience performing engineering calculations and analyses, such as Worst Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA) and simulations.
• Experience integrating standard automotive communication bus hardware, including LIN and CAN, into designs.
• Experience working with OEM testing specifications and design requirements.
• Experience with automotive project launch cycles and related development processes.
• Experience managing and maintaining hardware component, footprint, and symbol libraries for global design reuse.
• Knowledge of automotive APQP terminology and processes.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex hardware issues.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for conveying technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Skills

• Familiarity with ALM tools such as Codebeamer for requirements management and traceability.
• Knowledge of IPC standards and other relevant regulatory standards for electronic hardware design and manufacturing.
• Experience applying Design for Excellence (DFX) principles, including DFM, DFA, DFC, DFT, and DFR, in hardware development.
• Exposure to thermal, electrical, and EMC simulation tools and methodologies.
• Experience working with ISO-based functional safety concepts and ASPICE-compliant development processes (asset).
• Experience in automotive environments with understanding of communication protocols and OEM expectations.
• Ability to document technical information, processes, and design decisions thoroughly for future reference and intellectual property protection.
• Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional core teams, including software, systems, manufacturing, and quality.
• Motivation to contribute to innovative products used across automotive, furniture, hydraulic cylinders, flooring, textile, and geo component applications.
• Interest in working within an organization that emphasizes continuous improvement, product reliability, and customer-focused solutions.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $60.00/hr. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on 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:

• Medical, dental, and vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital insurance
• 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)

Schedule

This is a Contract to Hire hybrid position based in Troy, MI. Work typically follows standard business hours, with flexibility required at times to meet critical program milestones and support core team activities.