Lead Hardware Engineer

Actalent; United States; Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Paid time off

Life Insurance

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Lead Hardware Engineer to drive the design and delivery of hardware for metro and freight signaling applications from concept through manufacturing. You will mentor a team of hardware engineers and manage subcontractors while ensuring safety, quality, and performance in lab and field environments.

This role requires extensive PCB and system-level design, environmental testing, and production test strategies, with a hybrid Pittsburgh, PA work schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer focusing on hardware development.
• 7–10+ years hands-on hardware development across the full lifecycle.
• Ability to lead and manage a team of hardware engineers.
• Experience in PCB multilayer design and complex schematics.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware design efforts for metro and freight signaling systems with technical direction.
• Develop and support PCBs, enclosures, junction boxes, control cabinets, cables, antennas, and interfaces.
• Design hardware from requirements ensuring compliance with standards.
• Oversee subcontractors for hardware solutions with quality and schedule in mind.
• Develop and oversee production test strategies and procedures.

Skills

Hardware development

PCB design

System-level schematics

Leadership

Diagnostics

Test procedures

Vendor management

Environmental testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

OrCAD

LabVIEW

Job description

Job Title: Lead Hardware Engineer

Job Description

This role leads the design and delivery of hardware products and system solutions for metro and freight signaling applications. The Project Manager will take ownership of complex hardware projects from concept through manufacturing, oversee a team of hardware engineers and subcontractors, and ensure all solutions meet stringent safety, quality, and performance requirements in both lab and field environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware product and solutions design efforts for metro and freight signaling systems, providing technical direction and project leadership.
• Develop and support system and hardware solutions, including printed circuit boards (PCBs), enclosures, junction boxes, control cabinets, cables, antennas, and other vehicle interface components.
• Design hardware from requirements in accordance with established design principles, procedures, and specifications, ensuring compliance with system needs and industry standards.
• Oversee subcontractors responsible for developing hardware solutions for metro systems, ensuring quality, schedule adherence, and alignment with project objectives.
• Develop and oversee production test strategies and procedures to validate hardware performance and reliability.
• Prepare, review, and maintain comprehensive project and design documentation, including specifications, schematics, and test reports.
• Test hardware in both lab and field environments to verify compliance with requirements, including system integration testing with wayside, office, and other interfacing systems.
• Provide accurate hardware effort and cost estimates for changes originating from internal stakeholders or external customers.
• Perform and support environmental testing of components and systems to ensure compliance with relevant standards and operating conditions.
• Manage day-to-day hardware development activities, balancing multiple parallel responsibilities and competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Maintain an appropriate balance between speed and thoroughness, while never compromising on quality or safety.
• Lead and mentor a group of hardware engineers by defining tasks, maintaining scope of work, and managing budget and schedule.
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware system issues, including PCB-level problems, using strong diagnostic, analytical, and debugging skills.
• Develop and refine factory and field test procedures to support production and deployment activities.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders through clear written and verbal communication.
• Support customers, colleagues, field-testing teams, and production operations by addressing hardware-related issues, including occasional weekend or after-hours support as needed.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Approximately 10 or more years of experience as an Electrical Engineer, with a focus on hardware development.
• 7–10+ years of hands-on hardware development experience across the full hardware development life cycle, from conceptual design to manufacturing.
• Proven ability to design and troubleshoot hardware systems, including complex PCB-based solutions.
• Strong experience developing multilayer printed circuit boards and working with complex PCB schematics.
• Ability to read and understand complex system-level schematics and detailed design documentation.
• Demonstrated capability to lead and manage a team of hardware engineers, including defining tasks and maintaining scope, budget, and schedule.
• Established troubleshooting, diagnostic, analytical, and debugging skills for hardware and PCB issues.
• Experience in developing factory and field test procedures for hardware products.
• Ability to complete tasks in a timely manner while consistently producing high-quality work.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively influence and collaborate within the organization.
• Strong time management and organizational skills to handle multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with signaling-related hardware for metro or freight systems.
• Hands‑on experience with PCB design and hardware integration in transportation or similar safety-critical environments.
• Ability to think strategically as part of a group and evaluate the long‑term impact of technical and project decisions.
• Demonstrated problem‑solving skills and the ability to provide optimal, practical solutions under constraints.
• Commitment to lifelong learning and a willingness to share knowledge and mentor others.
• Comfort working with established design principles, procedures, and specifications throughout the development process.

Work Environment

The role operates in a hybrid work environment, with a schedule that typically includes two days in the office and three days working remotely each week. Work involves collaboration with engineering teams, subcontractors, and test personnel, as well as hands‑on activities in lab settings and occasional field environments for hardware and system integration testing. The position requires flexibility to support customer, field‑testing, or production issues outside standard business hours when necessary. Standard office productivity tools, including Microsoft Office, are used regularly, along with engineering documentation and test systems in lab and field conditions.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Pittsburgh, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $72.00/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 jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable 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&D 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 hybrid position in Pittsburgh, PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 23, 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.