Hardware Engineer (PCB / FPGA / Semiconductor)

Q1 Technologies, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Q1 Technologies, Inc. in San Jose, CA is seeking a Hardware Engineer with strong PCB design, FPGA prototyping, and semiconductor knowledge to lead the full hardware lifecycle from architecture to manufacturing release.

You will collaborate with software, mechanical, layout, and thermal teams to resolve complex design challenges, select key components, ensure signal integrity, and deliver production-ready documentation.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• Proficient with PCB design tools (Cadence Allegro, Altium Designer) for schematic capture and layout.
• Hands-on FPGA development experience with Verilog or VHDL and FPGA prototyping workflows.
• Deep understanding of silicon architecture, high-speed interfaces (PCIe, SERDES), and memory architectures.
• Experience with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Board Design: Lead complex, high-speed multi-layer PCBs with SI/PI considerations.
• Architecture & Component Selection: Define hardware architecture and select SoCs, memory, FPGAs, and PMICs.
• FPGA Prototyping & RTL: Develop and validate FPGA prototypes and RTL code.
• Signal & Power Integrity: Analyze timing, jitter, eye diagrams, and crosstalk to ensure reliability.
• Lab Bring-Up & Debugging: Perform root-cause analysis and electrical testing for signals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with software, mechanical, layout, and thermal teams.
• Manufacturing Handoff: Produce production-ready docs including Gerber files and BOM.

Skills

PCB Design

FPGA Development

Semiconductor Knowledge

Schematic Capture

RTL Verilog/VHDL

Lab Equipment

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Cadence Allegro

Altium Designer

DDR/PCIe interfaces

Power Management ICs

Oscilloscopes/Logic Analyzers

Job description

Hardware Engineer (PCB / FPGA / Semiconductor)

Location: San Jose, CA

Experience Level: Mid to Senior Level

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Hardware Engineer with a strong background in PCB design, FPGA prototyping, and semiconductor technologies to join our engineering team in San Jose, CA. In this role, you will own the full hardware development lifecycle-from architecture definition and schematic capture to board bring-up, validation, and manufacturing release. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to build next-generation, high-performance hardware systems.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Board Design: Lead board-level design for complex, high-speed multi-layer PCBs, incorporating mixed-signal and power distribution networks.
• Architecture & Component Selection: Define hardware architecture and select key components like SoC processors, DDR/Flash memory, FPGAs, and power management ICs.
• FPGA Prototyping & RTL: Design, integrate, and execute validation plans on FPGA prototyping platforms.
• Signal & Power Integrity (SI/PI): Apply SI/PI principles to analyze clock jitter, eye diagrams, crosstalk, and DC drop to ensure optimal product reliability.
• Lab Bring-Up & Debugging: Perform root-cause analysis on complex hardware failures and complete electrical testing for signal quality.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with software, mechanical, layout, and thermal teams to solve intricate design challenges.
• Manufacturing Handoff: Generate production-ready documentation including Gerber files, drill drawings, and Bill of Materials (BOM).

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• PCB Design: Proficient with industry-standard EDA tools like Cadence Allegro, Altium Designer, or similar for schematic capture and layout.
• FPGA Development: Hands-on experience with hardware descriptive languages (Verilog or VHDL) and FPGA prototyping workflows.
• Semiconductor Familiarity: Deep understanding of silicon architecture, high-speed interfaces (PCIe, SERDES), and advanced memory architectures (DDR/LPDDR/HBM).
• Testing Equipment: Experience using lab hardware tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers.

Preferred Skills

• Advanced experience using simulation tools like ADS, HFSS, or HSPICE for signal/power integrity.
• Familiarity with hardware- adjacent programming or scripting languages (Python, C/C++).
• Understanding of industry regulatory compliance standards (FCC, CE, RoHS, ISO).