Hardware Engineer

Actalent; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Hardware Engineer in New York to design and develop industrial-grade wired and wireless communication products through concept to production. You will work with cross-functional teams to meet design goals, manage trade-offs, and deliver compliant hardware with strong circuit-level design and troubleshooting skills in a lab environment.

The role emphasizes collaboration across international engineering teams, on-site work with digital and RF circuitry, and documentation of

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 3+ years hardware design experience in communications or embedded systems.
• 3+ years circuit design and ECAD tools experience.
• 2–3 years wireless or embedded development experience.
• Practical circuit-level design and troubleshooting in a lab environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication across diverse audiences.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively to resolve technical issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware development of industrial-grade communications equipment across the lifecycle.
• Design and analyze digital, mixed-signal circuitry including MCU/CPU/USB with EMC and thermal constraints.
• Develop schematics and PCB layouts for digital, analog, RF circuitry.
• Create and maintain ECAD component database and production docs.
• Perform hardware validation testing and document results to refine designs.
• Ensure compliance with safety, emissions, and performance standards and support certification.

Skills

Hardware design

Altium Designer

EMC testing

Embedded systems

Circuit analysis

Schematic & PCB layout

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Oscilloscope

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Hardware Engineer

As a Hardware Engineer, you design and develop industry-leading solutions for industrial-grade wired and wireless communications products. You take products from concept through production, applying strong circuit-level design and troubleshooting skills in a laboratory environment. You work across the full product lifecycle, collaborating with an international engineering organization to meet design goals, manage trade-offs, and deliver reliable, standards-compliant hardware. This role requires clear written and verbal communication to explain complex technical solutions to cross-functional teams with varying levels of technical expertise.

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to the hardware development of industrial-grade communications equipment by applying principles and techniques of electrical engineering, circuit design, and analysis.
• Complete the analysis and design of digital and mixed-signal communications circuitry, including MCU, CPU, flash, Ethernet, and USB, while considering EMC, thermal, mechanical, and electrical safety constraints.
• Develop and finalize schematic designs and PCB layouts containing digital, analog, and RF circuitry.
• Create new electronic components within the ECAD environment and maintain the component database to ensure accurate and up-to-date records.
• Prepare and maintain production documentation, including top-level bills of material and label specifications.
• Perform sustaining engineering activities for legacy products by mitigating component shortages, qualifying alternative parts, and redesigning circuits and sub-assemblies to address obsolescence.
• Translate product-level requirements into detailed technical requirements, estimate scope of work, and develop hardware concept designs to meet project deadlines.
• Work onsite with a team of Electrical and Embedded Firmware Engineers in an office and laboratory environment to drive hardware development activities.
• Perform circuit-level validation testing, document test plans and results, and use findings to refine and improve designs.
• Ensure compliance with product safety, emissions, and performance standards, and support third-party certification laboratories as needed.
• Support and troubleshoot existing product design issues reported by customers and manufacturing, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Conduct MTBF and reliability analysis for individual product subsystems and incorporate findings into design improvements.
• Provide detailed specifications and technical support to Manufacturing and Test Engineering teams to facilitate smooth production and testing processes.
• Collaborate effectively with an international development team, sharing design information, resolving technical issues, and aligning on product objectives.
• Produce Hardware Design Specifications and other relevant design documentation that clearly convey architecture, requirements, and implementation details.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• At least 3 years of prior hardware design experience, preferably in communications or embedded systems products.
• At least 3 years of experience with circuit design and ECAD tools.
• 2–3 years of experience with wireless or embedded development.
• Practical circuit-level design and troubleshooting experience in a laboratory environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively to resolve technical issues.
• Demonstrated capability to participate in the full product lifecycle, from concept through production.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Altium Designer or similar ECAD software.
• Familiarity with emissions standards such as FCC, IC, ETSI, Anatel, or ACMA.
• Experience with communication interfaces and protocols, including Ethernet, USB, I2C, and SPI.
• Familiarity with safety standards such as EN62368-1 and EN6095-1.
• Proven knowledge of EMC and environmental standards required for CE Mark certification of telecommunications products.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize work, and quickly adapt in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Ability to solder and desolder surface-mount and through-hole components using a soldering station and heat gun.
• Experience using laboratory equipment such as signal generators, network analyzers, and spectrum analyzers.
• Ability to work collaboratively with an international development team across multiple sites.
• Familiarity w