Electrical Design Engineer

Actalent; Palatine (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

Health Spending Account

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent in Palatine, IL is hiring an Electrical Design Engineer to support the design, development, and testing of microprocessor- and PLC-based control systems for automated equipment. This hands-on role covers circuit design, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototype development, embedded programming, and system validation across hardware and software.

Required is a Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering (or related) with 2+ years using AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks, C

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• Strong understanding of AC/DC digital and analog circuits.
• Experience programming in C or similar languages.
• Familiarity with bare-metal microcontroller development.
• Hands-on debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• 2+ years using AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks for schematic design.
• Experience with electrical design, control systems, panel layouts, and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of power and safety standards for electrical and automation systems.

Responsibilities

• Support design and development of microprocessor- and PLC-based control systems.
• Design and analyze AC/DC digital and analog circuits.
• Create schematics and assist PCB layout using AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks.
• Prototype assembly, bring-up, testing, and validation.
• Develop embedded software in C for bare-metal microcontrollers.
• Support PLC programming using ladder logic.
• Perform hardware validation, data collection, and troubleshooting.
• Debug embedded systems with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Design and review electrical panels, layouts, and wiring.
• Ensure compliance with power and safety standards.

Skills

C programming

Embedded systems

Debugging hardware

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

SolidWorks

Job description

Job Title: Electrical Design Engineer

We're looking for an Electrical Design Engineer to support the design, development, and testing of microprocessor- and PLC-based control systems for automated equipment. This hands-on role spans circuit design, schematic capture, PCB layout, prototype development, embedded programming, and system validation, offering the opportunity to work across hardware, software, and automation technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the design and development of microprocessor- and PLC-based control systems.
• Design and analyze AC/DC digital and analog circuits for reliable system performance.
• Create schematics and assist with PCB layout using AutoCAD Electrical, SolidWorks, or similar tools.
• Participate in prototype assembly, bring-up, testing, and validation.
• Develop and modify embedded software in C for bare-metal microcontroller applications.
• Support PLC programming using ladder logic for industrial automation systems.
• Perform hardware validation, data collection, troubleshooting, and performance testing.
• Debug embedded systems using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.
• Design and review electrical panels, layouts, wiring, and component placement.
• Apply power and safety standards to ensure compliant, safe system designs.
• Collaborate across engineering disciplines to deliver integrated automation solutions.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design, documentation, and testing processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• Strong understanding of AC/DC digital and analog circuits.
• Experience programming in C or similar languages.
• Familiarity with bare-metal microcontroller development.
• Hands-on debugging experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.
• Ability to work independently and within a collaborative engineering team.
• 2+ years of experience using AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks for schematic design.
• Experience with electrical design, control systems, panel layouts, and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of power and safety standards related to electrical and automation systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PCB design, schematic capture, and Altium or similar tools.
• Familiarity with Ethernet/IP, Modbus, and other industrial communication protocols.
• Understanding of PLC-based and industrial automation systems.
• Experience with hardware testing, validation, and data collection.
• Exposure to PCB manufacturability, EMC, and reliability considerations.
• Experience with version control systems and scripting tools.
• Ability to work effectively across hardware, embedded software, and control systems.

Why Join Us?

Join a growing family-owned company where you'll work alongside experienced engineers on innovative automation projects. This role offers hands-on exposure to electrical design, embedded systems, PLC controls, and PCB development in a collaborative environment that values teamwork, problem-solving, and professional growth.

Job Type & Location

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

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $60.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

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)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Palatine, IL.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 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 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

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 [e-mail] 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.