Hardware Design Engineer

Actalent; Newport News (VA); On-site; USD 73,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

HSA

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

PTO / Vacation

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Hardware Design Engineer to join the Electronics Systems Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. You will design, develop, and integrate electronic systems for flight missions, taking concepts through manufacturing, assembly, and testing.

You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, use Altium Designer and PSPICE, and work onsite five days a week at Langley. The role emphasizes hands-on testing, documentation, and meeting mission milestones.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required for site access and eligibility.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of electronic design and development experience.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer and PSPICE simulation.
• Experience with power electronics and high-speed mixed-signal circuits.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electronic circuits including power systems and high-speed mixed-signal designs.
• Integrate cameras, lasers, data storage, and science instrumentation into designs.
• Use Altium Designer for circuit design and PSPICE for simulation.
• Collaborate with vendors for PCB fabrication and board population.
• Perform functional testing, troubleshooting, and assembly of electronic systems.
• Prepare schematics, BOMs, and test procedures.
• Coordinate with manufacturing and assembly teams to ensure smooth delivery.
• Communicate with project managers, scientists, and engineers across teams.
• Support overtime as needed to meet flight mission deadlines.

Skills

US Citizenship

Bachelors degree in Electrical/Electro

2+ years electronic design

Altium Designer

PSPICE

Power electronics

EMI/EMC

Signal integrity

High-speed digital

Mixed-signal design

Lab equipment (oscilloscope, spectrum,

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

PSPICE

Job description

Job Description

Join a dynamic team as a Hardware Design Engineer, where you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and integrating electronic systems for cutting-edge projects. This position is ideal for a self-starter who thrives in a collaborative environment, capable of following designs through the entire lifecycle—from concept to manufacturing, assembly, and testing. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including scientists, project managers, and engineers, to deliver high-quality solutions for flight missions.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electronic circuits, including power systems, amplifiers, DACs, high-speed digital, and mixed signal designs.
• Design and develop intra-system harnessing.
• Integrate cameras, lasers, data storage, computational systems, and science instrumentation into designs.
• Modify and adapt designs to meet specific mission requirements for computational camera systems.
• Utilize Altium Designer for circuit design and PSPICE for simulation.
• Collaborate with external vendors for PCB fabrication and perform board population as needed.
• Conduct functional testing, troubleshooting, and assembly of electronic systems.
• Prepare detailed documentation, including schematics, BOMs, and test procedures.
• Work closely with manufacturing and assembly teams to ensure seamless manufacturing and delivery.
• Communicate effectively with project managers, scientists, and engineers across avionics, software, thermal/structural, and mechanical design teams.
• Occasionally support overtime efforts to meet delivery deadlines for flight missions.
• Engage with scientists, project managers, and chief engineers to ensure mission success.
• Collaborate with a team of engineers from the Electronics Systems Branch, including avionics leads, FPGA designers, and electronic designers.

Essential Skills

• US Citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in electronic design and development.
• Proficiency in Altium Designer and PSPICE simulation tools.
• Hands-on experience with circuit design, simulation, and integration.
• Strong understanding of power electronics, EMI/EMC considerations, signal integrity, high-speed digital, and mixed signal circuit principles.
• Familiarity with PCB fabrication processes and board population.
• Ability to troubleshoot, test, and characterize electronic systems.
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment, such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and logic analyzers.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with electronic hardware design and parts selection.
• Prior experience with spaceflight hardware is a plus, but not required.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and take initiative.

Work Environment

• This position supports the Research, Science, and Engineering Services (RSES) contract at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.
• The role requires onsite presence five days a week at NASA Langley.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Hampton, VA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $53.00 - $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.

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&DD 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 Hampton,VA. Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Sep 3, 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.