Hardware Design Engineer

Job Title: Hardware Design Engineer

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Hardware Design Engineer to lead the electrical hardware design of next-generation optical transceiver products for high-performance 1.2T and 1.6T optical networking platforms. In this highly visible role, you will own complex PCB-based hardware designs end-to-end, driving the process from architecture and schematic capture through PCB layout oversight, design reviews, validation, and product release. You will work with minimal supervision while collaborating closely with RF, firmware, mechanical, PCB layout, and manufacturing teams to deliver mission-critical hardware solutions that meet demanding performance and customer requirements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary electrical owner for new optical transceiver hardware programs, taking full responsibility for board-level design quality and performance.

• Drive board-level architecture and detailed hardware design activities for high-speed optical networking platforms.

• Develop complete electrical schematics from scratch using PADS schematic capture tools.

• Evaluate, select, and qualify critical electronic components, ensuring alignment with performance, reliability, and cost targets.

• Review and interpret complex datasheets for high-performance devices to guide design decisions.

• Design high-speed digital and analog circuits that support advanced optical transceiver functionality.

• Support RF signal path design and optimization to ensure robust high-frequency performance.

• Develop power distribution and power supply architectures, including high-performance power supply design.

• Apply and ensure proper signal integrity and power integrity practices across all board-level designs.

• Own PCB hardware development from concept through release, including architecture, design, and validation.

• Work closely with internal PCB designers during layout to ensure design intent is accurately implemented.

• Provide layout guidance and conduct detailed PCB design reviews, with particular focus on high-speed interfaces.

• Ensure proper routing of high-speed RF and digital interfaces to meet bandwidth, loss, and crosstalk requirements.

• Validate thermal, power, and signal integrity considerations in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Partner with firmware, mechanical, manufacturing, and test teams throughout the development lifecycle.

• Participate in formal design reviews and engineering evaluations, presenting design rationale and analysis results.

• Support troubleshooting and validation activities at both board and system level, including root-cause analysis.

• Provide technical expertise and leadership across the hardware development process from concept to product release.

• Perform analysis and validation of hardware designs using appropriate tools and methodologies.

• Support simulation and modeling activities, including SPICE and CST simulations, to predict and optimize performance.

• Troubleshoot board-level and system-level issues and drive corrective actions to closure.

• Ensure products meet customer specifications, performance requirements, and reliability targets.

• Contribute to design verification and simulation strategies for high-speed RF and digital hardware.

Essential Skills

• At least 5 years of hardware design experience in board-level electronics development.

• Proven experience leading board-level hardware development efforts from architecture through release.

• Strong digital circuit design experience, including high-speed digital design.

• Strong analog circuit design experience for complex board-level systems.

• Demonstrated ability to develop schematics from scratch using professional EDA tools such as PADS.

• Experience selecting and evaluating electronic components for high-performance applications.

• Experience working closely with PCB layout teams and conducting thorough design reviews.

• Experience with high-performance power supply design and power distribution architectures.

• Ability to read and interpret complex component datasheets and translate them into robust design implementations.

• Knowledge of high-speed digital design principles and practices.

• Understanding of RF fundamentals relevant to high-speed communication systems.

• Strong grasp of signal integrity concepts and their application in PCB design.

• Strong grasp of power integrity concepts for reliable high-speed hardware.

• Experience with board-level architecture development for complex electronic systems.

• Industry experience in telecommunications hardware, optical networking, fiber optics, optical communications, high-speed communications systems, or networking infrastructure.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with optical transceiver design and development for advanced networking platforms.

• Experience with DCO modules or similar optical communication modules.

• Working with DSP-based communication systems and their hardware interfaces.

• Experience supporting optical products and solutions for high-speed communications.

• High-speed RF design experience, including designs that consider bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz.

• Hands-on experience with CST simulation software for electromagnetic and RF analysis.

• Proficiency with PADS schematic capture tools for professional hardware design.

• Experience with SPICE simulation for circuit analysis and verification.

• Experience integrating optical components into board-level designs.

• Exposure to telecom hardware deployed in hyperscale environments.

• Experience working with 1.2T and 1.6T class networking products and related hardware platforms.

• Design verification and simulation experience across digital, analog, RF, and power domains.

Work Environment

This role offers remote flexibility with a strong preference for working onsite approximately three days per week in a collaborative engineering environment. You will partner closely with multidisciplinary teams including RF, firmware, mechanical, PCB layout, manufacturing, and test engineering, using professional EDA tools such as PADS, SPICE, and CST for design, simulation, and verification. The work focuses on advanced optical transceiver and high-speed networking hardware, with an emphasis on rigorous design reviews, performance validation, and cross-functional collaboration. The environment supports a mix of independent design ownership and team-based problem solving, with visibility into mission-critical hyperscale networking programs.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Horsham, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $230000.00/yr.

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.

Bonus, PTO, Holiday, 401k, equity

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Horsham,PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 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 View email address on click.appcast.io 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.