Hardware Design Engineer

Description

The Principal Electrical Engineer serves as a technical leader within our client's Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, responsible for architecting, developing, and guiding advanced embedded hardware solutions for space and defense applications. This role provides deep subject matter expertise across the full hardware development lifecycle—from requirements definition through design, integration, test, and delivery—while ensuring designs meet stringent performance, reliability, and radiation‑mitigation requirements.

The Principal Electrical Engineer partners closely with cross‑functional engineering teams, program leadership, and customers to solve complex technical challenges, support program execution and business development efforts, and shape the long‑term technology roadmap for the organization.

• Manage engineering discipline personnel
• Subject matter expert for embedded hardware engineering discipline
• Lead embedded hardware development process: requirements specification, characterization, simulation, high‑speed digital design, signal processing, schematic capture, PCB layout and routing, PCA testing, and system integration
• Conduct peer reviews of design work and documentation
• Provide technical guidance to discipline team, other engineering teams, PMO, EGD and VP
• Support project execution as needed based on severity of resource demand and challenge of design
• Cost Account Management
• Support business development efforts
• Represent Trident Systems Engineering with customer and vendor interface as a subject matter expert
• Support ES technology roadmap by identifying goals for department and plans for execution

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pcb design, high speed digital, altium, electronics

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related technical degree
• 9+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree OR 7+ years with a Master’s degree
• Experience with mixed‑signal PCA development, utilizing High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs and high speed (> 1 GHz) components/circuits
• Experience with FPGA and microprocessor development, including hardware descriptor languages (i.e. Verilog, VHDL)
• Experience with hardware integration, test, and debug tools such as logic analyzers, scopes, emulators
• Demonstrated experience implementing PCI, PCIe, cPCI, VME, or VPX standards (VITA 46, VITA 65)

Expert Level

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

The pay range for this position is $65.00 - $85.00/hr.

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)

This is a hybrid position in Fairfax, VA.

This position is anticipated to close on Mar 9, 2026.

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 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

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 due to a disability, please email actalentaccom (actalentaccom) for other accommodation options.