Senior PCB Hardware Engineer – Bring-Up, Debug & Validation

GCS Recruitment; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment in San Francisco, CA seeks a Senior PCB Design Engineer to lead hardware bring-up, debugging, and verification for advanced satellite payload hardware. This on-site, 12+ month contract role emphasizes hands-on lab work, high-speed interfaces, and robust PCB design.

You will collaborate with hardware and RF/antenna teams, execute design verification campaigns, and contribute to next-generation board revisions through root-cause analysis and meticulous documentation.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of electrical engineering experience in board-level hardware design.
• Strong schematic capture and dense multilayer PCB design experience.
• Expertise in power delivery, distribution, and sequencing.
• Hands-on lab experience with board bring-up and validation.
• Proficiency with high-end measurement equipment.
• Experience with high-speed SerDes technologies.
• Full hardware lifecycle experience from design to manufacturing.
• Degree: BSEE or MSEE or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Lead bring-up of newly fabricated circuit boards, including power-on and first-time hardware debug through root cause.
• Plan and execute design verification and validation campaigns with high-speed link testing and power measurements.
• Collaborate with hardware design engineers to drive corrective actions into revisions.
• Contribute to schematic capture and PCB layout for next-generation hardware.
• Support RF and antenna engineering teams with validated hardware.
• Troubleshoot board-level hardware issues using laboratory instrumentation.
• Support the complete hardware development lifecycle from design to manufacturing.

Skills

Board-level hardware design

Schematic capture

Power delivery sequencing

Hardware bring-up & debugging

High-speed interfaces (JESD204, PCIe,

Signal integrity / power integrity

Full hardware lifecycle experience

Education

BSEE or MSEE or equivalent

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

High-speed test equipment

PCB layout tools

Job description

Senior PCB Design Engineer

Location: San Francisco, California

Contract: 12+ months
Work Arrangement: 5 days onsite

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior PCB Hardware Design Engineer / Senior Hardware Development Engineer to support the development of advanced satellite payload hardware. This is a hands-on role focused heavily on board bring-up, hardware debug, design verification, validation, and supporting the transition of validated designs into subsequent hardware revisions.

The ideal candidate will have strong board-level design experience combined with extensive laboratory expertise and the ability to troubleshoot complex hardware issues from initial power-on through root-cause identification and resolution.

Responsibilities

• Lead bring-up of newly fabricated circuit boards, including power-on, section-by-section checkout, and first-time hardware debug through root cause.
• Plan and execute design verification and validation campaigns, including high-speed link testing, power measurements, functional testing, and detailed documentation of results.
• Partner closely with hardware design engineers to identify issues and drive corrective actions into subsequent board revisions.
• Contribute to schematic capture and PCB layout activities for next-generation hardware as project priorities and bandwidth allow.
• Support RF and antenna engineering teams with validated hardware and assist with their measurement and characterization requirements.
• Troubleshoot board-level hardware issues using systematic debug methodologies and laboratory instrumentation.
• Support the complete hardware development lifecycle from design and fabrication through bring-up, validation, and manufacturing support.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of electrical engineering experience in board-level hardware design.
• Strong experience with schematic capture and complex, dense multilayer PCB designs.
• Solid understanding of power delivery, power distribution, and sequencing.
• Extensive hands-on laboratory experience with board bring-up, hardware debug, and validation.
• Proficiency with oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analyzers, and high-speed test and measurement equipment.
• Experience with high-speed digital interfaces and multi-gigabit SerDes technologies such as JESD204, PCIe, 25G+ Ethernet, DDR, or similar.
• Strong understanding of signal integrity and power integrity considerations.
• Demonstrated experience across the full hardware lifecycle: design → build → bring-up → validation → manufacturing support.
• BSEE, MSEE, or equivalent practical engineering experience.

GCS is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.