Hardware Development Engineer

The Planet Group; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Planet Group is seeking a motivated Hardware Development Engineer for its Milwaukee, WI team. The role centers on design, development, analysis, and testing of electronic hardware across the product lifecycle.

Candidate will work across electrical, firmware, and systems teams, perform circuit analysis, prototype testing, and documentation, and contribute to design verification and regulatory compliance efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronics engineering or related field.
• At least 2 years hands-on hardware development experience.
• Strong understanding of circuit theory and schematics.
• Experience testing, analyzing, and troubleshooting hardware.
• Familiar with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes and analyzers.
• Ability to document designs and maintain records meticulously.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and verify electronic hardware for industrial and embedded control applications.
• Perform circuit analysis, hardware troubleshooting, and functional testing.
• Read, interpret, and review electrical schematics and design docs.
• Support hardware architecture, sub-circuit design, and verification activities.
• Use lab equipment to evaluate hardware performance and test results.
• Conduct functional testing, analyze results, and drive corrective actions.
• Prepare hardware design docs, test procedures, and verification reports.
• Investigate hardware failures and contribute to root-cause analysis.
• Collaborate with electrical, firmware, systems, and other teams across lifecycle.
• Contribute to simulations, automated testing, and process improvements.
• Support compliance with EMC and functional safety standards; research new tech.

Skills

Hardware development experience

Circuit design

Schematic interpretation

Problem solving

Documentation practices

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

EDA software

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Prototype testing equipment

Test automation tools

Job description

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Hardware Development Engineer to join our engineering team in the design, development, analysis, and testing of electronic hardware products. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in electrical hardware development, circuit design, prototype testing, and troubleshooting.

This role focuses primarily on hardware engineering throughout the product development lifecycle, including circuit design, hardware integration, functional verification, performance analysis, and regulatory compliance. Programming experience in Python or C++ is beneficial but not required. Candidates with strong practical hardware development experience will be prioritized over candidates whose experience is primarily in software development.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with cross-functional engineering teams, receive technical mentorship, and have opportunities to expand their skills and responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and verify electronic hardware for industrial and embedded control applications.
• Perform circuit analysis, hardware troubleshooting, and functional testing of electronic components and prototypes.
• Read, interpret, and review electrical schematics and circuit design documentation.
• Support hardware architecture, sub-circuit design, component selection, and design verification activities.
• Use laboratory test equipment, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, electronic debuggers, and precision measurement instruments, to evaluate hardware performance.
• Conduct functional testing, analyze test results, identify design issues, and recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare and maintain hardware design documentation, test procedures, verification reports, and engineering records.
• Support investigations into hardware failures and contribute to root-cause analysis and design improvements.
• Collaborate with electrical, electronics, firmware, systems, and other engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Contribute to design simulations, automated testing initiatives, and continuous improvement of hardware development processes.
• Support compliance and verification activities related to applicable electrical, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and functional safety standards.
• Research emerging technologies, components, and engineering tools to improve product performance, reliability, and development efficiency.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 2 years of hands-on experience in electrical or electronic hardware development, preferably involving product design, prototyping, testing, or troubleshooting.
• Strong understanding of electrical circuit theory and electronic circuit operation.
• Experience reading and interpreting electrical schematics and hardware design documentation.
• Practical experience testing, analyzing, and troubleshooting electronic hardware.
• Experience with at least one or more of the following:
• Microprocessors and embedded hardware
• Digital logic and electronic devices
• DC power conversion and power electronics
• Programmable logic devices, including CPLDs or FPGAs
• Ethernet, wireless technology, or electronic communication interfaces
• Familiarity with laboratory hardware test equipment, such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers, and precision measurement instruments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, ownership, and documentation practices.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within a cross-functional engineering team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with hardware design capture tools and electronic design automation (EDA) software.
• Experience with hardware product verification, validation, integration, and design testing.
• Familiarity with functional safety standards, such as IEC 61508, and EMC standards, such as IEC 61000, or other relevant electronics industry compliance standards.
• Experience with hardware simulation tools, automated test systems, or test development.
• Basic or working knowledge of Python, C++, or other programming languages for hardware testing and automation.
• Experience working in an Agile engineering or product development environment.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn new technologies, accept technical feedback, and take on increasing engineering responsibility.