Electronics Design Engineer

Job Title: Electronics Design Engineer Consultant

Job Description

This consulting role seeks an experienced Electronics Design Engineer to provide high-level technical expertise in the development, review, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of electronic systems and hardware. You will act as a subject matter expert for engineering teams working on custom laboratory equipment, instrumentation systems, control electronics, power distribution assemblies, embedded hardware, and other specialized electronic products. This position is ideal for an experienced engineer with extensive experience in electronic design, system integration, diagnostics, and engineering best practices, who can independently assess designs, identify technical risks, and support product development throughout the engineering lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent design reviews of electronic hardware, including circuit boards, power supplies, instrumentation systems, and control architectures.

• Evaluate existing electronic designs for performance, manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, and compliance with applicable engineering standards.

• Provide troubleshooting support for prototype and production hardware experiencing performance, integration, or field-related issues.

• Assist engineering teams with root cause investigations and the development of effective corrective actions.

• Review schematics, wiring diagrams, PCB layouts, and technical documentation to ensure accuracy and completeness.

• Support the development and verification of electronic systems used in custom laboratory, industrial, and scientific applications.

• Recommend design improvements to enhance product performance, robustness, and long-term reliability.

• Participate in technical discussions with multidisciplinary teams, including mechanical, software, systems, manufacturing, and test engineers.

• Provide guidance on component selection, obsolescence concerns, circuit protection strategies, and electronic design best practices.

• Assist with failure analysis of returned hardware and contribute to lessons-learned activities to prevent recurrence.

• Review test plans, validation procedures, and engineering change documentation to ensure technical rigor and suitability.

• Support technical risk assessments and provide clear recommendations for mitigation strategies.

• Serve as a technical advisor during critical design milestones and customer reviews, offering independent assessments and recommendations.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in electronic hardware design, development, testing, or troubleshooting.

• Strong understanding of analog circuit design principles.

• Strong understanding of digital circuit design principles.

• Experience reviewing schematics, PCB layouts, wiring assemblies, and electronic documentation.

• Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation, industrial control systems, embedded electronics, or custom electronic equipment.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose complex hardware issues.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while providing high-value technical guidance.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience supporting engineering programs in government, aerospace, defense, industrial, scientific, or research environments.

• Familiarity with signal integrity considerations in electronic systems.

• Knowledge of EMI/EMC considerations and their impact on electronic design and system performance.

• Experience with power electronics and related system integration activities.

• Prior experience mentoring engineering teams or serving in a technical lead capacity.

• Experience supporting prototype development, manufacturing transition, and design verification efforts.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Knoxville, TN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $65.00 - $65.00/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 & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Knoxville, TN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 30, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Knoxville,TN.

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.