Job Title: Senior Electrical Engineer High-Speed Digital HardwareJob DescriptionThis Senior Electrical Engineer role focuses on leading the design, development, integration, and validation of complex digital and mixed-signal circuit card assemblies that support advanced embedded computing platforms. You will architect and design high-speed digital hardware, guide products from concept through production, and serve as a technical leader and mentor for less experienced engineers. The position is ideal for an engineer whose recent experience centers on complex digital electronics, high-speed interfaces, processor-based designs, power architecture, board bring-up, and system-level troubleshooting. While RF experience is welcome, the core of this role is digital hardware design, with an emphasis on CCA design, Cadence tools, SPICE simulation, signal integrity, and hardware integration.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop complex circuit card assemblies that leverage modern digital architectures and support advanced embedded computing platforms.
- Implement and integrate high-speed memory and communications interfaces, including DDRx, PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and high-speed backplane connections.
- Architect and design hardware around large-scale application processors, FPGAs, SoCs, MCUs, EEPROMs, and associated power architectures.
- Create detailed schematics, perform component selection, and design power distribution networks and interface circuitry to meet performance and reliability requirements.
- Perform circuit simulation and analysis using SPICE-based tools such as LTSpice, PSpice, or equivalent to validate and optimize designs.
- Support and review PCB layouts, with strong focus on signal integrity, power integrity, thermal considerations, manufacturability, and long-term reliability.
- Conduct new board bring-up, hardware debug, integration, and verification activities to ensure designs meet functional and performance specifications.
- Troubleshoot hardware issues at both the board and system level, performing lab debugging and root cause analysis to resolve complex problems.
- Support EMI/EMC testing, including chamber testing, and work to identify and resolve compliance issues in collaboration with test teams.
- Collaborate closely with firmware, FPGA, systems, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers throughout the entire product development lifecycle to ensure cohesive system designs.
- Provide technical leadership on complex development efforts, guiding design decisions and ensuring best practices are followed.
- Mentor and guide junior engineers, offering task leadership, design feedback, and support in developing their technical skills.
- Generate and maintain comprehensive design documentation, test procedures, and engineering reports to support product development, verification, and production transfer.
- Contribute to design for manufacturability and testability, ensuring that hardware can be efficiently produced, assembled, and validated.
- Participate in reviews of rugged cable designs and drawing notes to ensure robust interconnect solutions for demanding environments.
Essential Skills
- At least 7 years of electrical engineering experience focused primarily on digital hardware design.
- Hands-on experience with circuit card assembly (CCA) design for complex embedded computing platforms.
- Proficiency with Cadence design tools for schematic capture and collaboration with PCB layout.
- Strong practical experience using SPICE-based circuit simulation tools such as LTSpice, PSpice, or equivalent.
- Deep understanding of high-speed digital design principles, including signal integrity and power integrity considerations.
- Experience with hardware integration and troubleshooting at both board and system levels.
- Strong knowledge of high-speed PCB design techniques, including routing strategies for DDRx, PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and other high-speed interfaces.
- Solid understanding of processor-based architectures, including application processors, FPGAs, SoCs, MCUs, and related support circuitry.
- Experience bringing complex hardware products from initial concept through full production, including validation and transfer to manufacturing.
- Demonstrated ability to design power architectures, including point-of-load switching power supplies, power sequencing, and power distribution networks.
- Experience performing signal integrity and power integrity simulations to validate and refine high-speed designs.
- Proficiency in board bring-up, lab debugging, and root cause analysis for complex digital and mixed-signal hardware.
- Experience supporting EMI/EMC troubleshooting and chamber testing to achieve regulatory and customer compliance.
- Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience with Allegro PCB layout and the creation or review of detailed PCB drawings.
- Background in rugged cable design and the preparation or review of cable drawing notes for demanding environments.
- Familiarity with VHDL and Verilog for FPGA development and integration into digital processing platforms.
- Experience with high-speed interfaces such as DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen4 and Gen5, USB 3.2, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
- Knowledge of video and display interfaces including DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI for embedded systems.
- Experience designing high-speed backplane architectures for multi-board systems.
- Exposure to mixed-signal power systems and their integration into complex digital designs.
- Demonstrated mentoring and task leadership experience, supporting the growth and development of junior engineers.
- Strong documentation skills, with the ability to produce clear design documents, test procedures, and engineering reports.
- Comfort working in multidisciplinary teams, collaborating with firmware, FPGA, systems, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers.
Work EnvironmentYou will work in a collaborative engineering environment focused on advanced embedded computing hardware, where cross-functional teamwork with firmware, FPGA, systems, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers is integral to success. The role is hands-on and lab-oriented, involving regular use of electronic test equipment, SPICE-based simulation tools, and Cadence design software, as well as participation in PCB layout reviews and hardware validation activities. Work typically centers around high-speed digital platforms, complex CCAs, and rigorous hardware verification, including EMI/EMC chamber testing and thorough lab debugging. The environment emphasizes robust, manufacturable designs suitable for demanding applications, with attention to reliability, signal integrity, power integrity, and thermal performance. Dress code is generally standard professional or lab-appropriate attire, suitable for both office collaboration and time spent working with hardware in the lab. Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Melbourne, FL. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $70.00 - $85.00/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) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of Melbourne, FL. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in Melbourne,FL.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.
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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.
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