Solutions Architect

Actalent; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Life Insurance

Disability

HSA

Transit benefits

PTO/Leave

Employee assistance

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Solutions Architect onsite in Chantilly, VA, for a 12-month contract-to-hire. The role bridges hardware engineering and sales, requiring expertise in electronics, manufacturing, and system integration to define technical solutions and lead proposals from concept to delivery.

You will run technical discovery with customers, develop architectures, and guide cross‑functional teams while communicating clearly with engineers and executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or systems engineering.
• 4+ years in hardware product development, embedded systems, or electromechanical experience.
• Strong knowledge of hardware development processes and system integration.
• Experience leading customer meetings and writing technical proposals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for customer and executive audiences.
• Ability to partner with business development teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery meetings to define system requirements.
• Develop solution concepts, architectures, and technical proposals.
• Serve as trusted technical advisor through sales and project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to deliver solutions.
• Translate customer requirements into work packages with cost estimates and schedules.
• Support BD with technical presentations and demonstrations.
• Provide technical oversight during product development and design reviews.
• Address manufacturability, prototypes, testing, and production readiness.
• Interface between customers and internal engineering teams.

Skills

Hardware product development

Proposal writing

Technical customer meetings

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Experience with hardware development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Job description

Solutions Architect | Onsite in Chantilly, VA | 150k - 200k/yr | 12-month contract-to-hire

Job Description

We are seeking a Sales Engineer who can bridge the gap between engineering execution and customer engagement. This individual will leverage strong experience in hardware product development, electronics, and manufacturing to help customers define technical solutions, develop proposals, lead engineering discussions, and guide programs from initial concept through delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery meetings with customers to understand system requirements, constraints, and program objectives.
• Develop solution concepts, system architectures, statements of work (SOWs), and technical proposals.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor throughout the sales and project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and manufacturing teams to create practical and executable solutions.
• Translate customer requirements into engineering work packages, cost estimates, schedules, and deliverables.
• Support business development efforts through technical presentations, white papers, proposal responses, and customer demonstrations.
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical oversight during product development efforts.
• Drive discussions around manufacturability, prototype development, testing, production readiness, and risk mitigation.
• Act as the primary technical interface between customers and internal engineering teams.

Essential Skills

• Experience in hardware engineering and manufacturing.
• Proficiency in proposal writing, particularly in technical sections.
• Experience running technical customer meetings and leading customer interactions.
• Ability to partner effectively with business development teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 4+ years of experience in hardware product development, embedded systems, electronics, or electromechanical systems.
• Strong understanding of hardware development processes, engineering trade studies, and systems integration.
• Excellent customer-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both engineers and executive stakeholders.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Engineering experience combined with an MBA is desirable.

Work Environment

The position is onsite in Chantilly. The company offers a collaborative, hands-on culture, providing engineers the opportunity to work on a wide variety of mission-critical technologies while gaining exposure to the full product lifecycle, from architecture and design to prototyping, testing, and manufacturing. As an employee-owned company, it fosters an environment where engineers can continue learning, innovate rapidly, and play a meaningful role in shaping both products and the business.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Chantilly, VA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $200000.00/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 job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available 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 fully onsite position in Chantilly,VA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 16, 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.