Hardware Design Engineer

LinkTech; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

LinkTech is seeking an experienced hardware design engineer to own mission-critical PCB development. You will manage requirements, schematic capture, layout, bring‑up, debugging, and verification for complex boards used in avionics and vehicle systems.

The role emphasizes hands‑on work, from architectural decisions to production readiness, with a strong emphasis on clear reasoning and technical depth in a defense hardware context.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of electrical hardware design experience focused on PCB design.
• A bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Experience with schematic capture, layout, bring‑up, debugging, and verification.
• Proficiency with Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or comparable PCB design software.
• Experience building and scaling test environments, including test racks, fixtures, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems.
• Relevant experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, or semiconductor industries.

Responsibilities

• Own circuit card assemblies from requirements and architecture through vehicle integration and production.
• Design complex, high‑speed, mixed‑signal PCBs, including schematic capture, component selection, and layout.
• Bring up new boards, diagnose failures, debug circuits, and implement design improvements.
• Build and scale hardware test environments, including test racks, fixtures, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems.
• Test and verify hardware against requirements and carry designs through qualification.
• Work with supply chain teams and suppliers to select components, order parts, and support hardware delivery.
• Integrate qualified hardware into the vehicle and support production readiness and full‑rate manufacturing.
• Explain technical tradeoffs, identify issues across the product, and collaborate with teammates to resolve them.

Skills

PCB design

Schematic capture

Layout

Debugging

Verification

Python

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Job description

Employment: Full-time

Experience: 5–10 years

About the Opportunity

We’re recruiting on behalf of a defense production company developing long-range hypersonic strike systems for the U.S. military. With $1B in funding, the company is expanding its engineering and production capabilities.

The avionics team is hiring engineers who personally design complex circuit boards and take them through testing, qualification, vehicle integration, and production. This work directly supports missile and weapons systems.

The Role

You’ll own mission-critical flight hardware through the complete development lifecycle: requirements, architecture, schematic capture, component selection, PCB layout, board bring-up, debugging, verification, and qualification.

With more than 15 PCBs in development, engineers own meaningful vehicle subsystems and multiple circuit card assemblies. Designs involve processors, memory, Ethernet, power electronics, sensor and actuator interfaces, and backplanes.

This is a hands‑on individual contributor role requiring direct board‑design experience and the ability to explain the reasoning behind technical decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Own circuit card assemblies from requirements and architecture through vehicle integration and production.
• Design complex, high‑speed, mixed‑signal PCBs, including schematic capture, component selection, and layout.
• Bring up new boards, diagnose failures, debug circuits, and implement design improvements.
• Build and scale hardware test environments, including test racks, fixtures, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems.
• Test and verify hardware against requirements and carry designs through qualification.
• Work with supply chain teams and suppliers to select components, order parts, and support hardware delivery.
• Integrate qualified hardware into the vehicle and support production readiness and full‑rate manufacturing.
• Explain technical tradeoffs, identify issues across the product, and collaborate with teammates to resolve them.

What You’ll Bring

• 5–10 years of electrical hardware design engineering experience focused on PCB design and hardware development.
• A bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Personal ownership of the complete hardware design cycle, including schematic capture, layout, bring‑up, debugging, and verification.
• Proficiency with Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or comparable PCB design software.
• Experience building and scaling test environments, including test racks, fixtures, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems.
• Relevant experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, or semiconductor industries.
• The ability to discuss projects you owned, explain design decisions, and connect your work to overall product performance.
• A proactive approach to identifying problems and carrying work through to completion.

Experience limited to systems engineering, integration, testing, debugging, or RF work does not satisfy the complete board‑design scope.

Additional Experience We Value

• Startup experience or work in environments where engineers own hardware from development through delivery.
• Experience in high‑performance computing or other technically demanding hardware environments.

The supplied technology stack includes schematic capture, mixed‑signal design, high‑speed digital design, power electronics, Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, and Python.

How the Team Works

Engineers take responsibility for meaningful vehicle subsystems and work closely with engineering, supply chain, and production colleagues. The team values technical depth, clear reasoning, and the willingness to question decisions when needed.

Expect to identify high‑value work, help secure the resources needed to deliver it, and stay involved as designs move from development into manufacturing.

Compensation and Work Requirements

• Base salary of $150,000–$200,000 annually. The firm maximum base salary is $200,000.
• On‑site work in Torrance, California, five days per week.
• Candidates outside the area must be willing to relocate and meet the on‑site schedule.
• U.S. person status is required.
• Visa sponsorship is not available.
• Candidates must be comfortable working specifically on missile and weapons systems.