Associate Hardware Engineer Jobs in Homewood, IL

About Us

Inventus Power is a global leader in advanced battery systems that specializes in designing and manufacturing high-quality, reliable, and innovative power systems for a broad range of portable, motive, and stationary applications. We are a US based company headquartered in Woodridge, Illinois and have a global presence that extends across four continents with five manufacturing facilities, three engineering technical centers, a multi-tiered sales service channel, and 3,000+ employees. For over 60 years, Inventus Power has been addressing the rapidly expanding power demands of a changing world through technology and engineered solutions. We continue to invest in our people and processes, while enhancing our products and capabilities in order to create a safer, smarter, and more sustainable battery-powered world.

We are an ITAR facility and hire only U.S. persons who are defined as U.S. citizens or green card holders.

What You’ll Do

The Qualification Engineer I executes formal electrical, mechanical, and environmental qualification of new products, materials, and devices under senior-level supervision. This is a hands-on lab role: you will spend meaningful time on the bench setting up fixtures, instrumenting test articles, and operating environmental chambers, vibration systems, cyclers, and EMC equipment. You will also collaborate with internal design teams, program management, and external test labs to establish requirements, author test procedures, participate in design reviews, and generate formal qualification reports suitable for customer and regulatory audit.

We are open to two candidate profiles for this role: an early-career engineer with a technical degree and formative test experience, or an experienced hardware test technician ready to grow into engineering-level ownership of test planning, procedure authorship, and formal reporting. Strong candidates from either background will have a genuine interest in regulatory and standards-driven testing, and the discipline to execute against a written specification.

Responsibilities (Including other duties as assigned)

• Execute qualification test programsagainst military, transport, and industry standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, UN 38.3, IATA DGR, and customer-specific requirements), including procedure development, hands-on test execution, deviation management, and formal reporting.
• Set up andoperatelab equipment including environmental chambers, vibration and shock systems, battery cyclers (Maccor, Chroma), programmable power supplies, oscilloscopes, and data acquisition systems.
• Fabricate and instrument test fixtures — cabling, thermocouple placement, sense/force wiring, and safe electrical connections at pack-level voltages.
• Generate detailed product qualification test plans based on internal and external specifications; compose final qualification reports that will withstand customer and third-party scrutiny.
• Collect, evaluate, and report all test results with full traceability — DUT identification, calibration status, chamber setpoints, and timestamped observations.
• Collaborate with third-party labs and certification bodies toattainproduct compliance to safety and transport regulations.
• Plan and document project status,maintaintest schedules, and coordinate with functional managers and customers to ensure on-time completion of deliverables.
• Perform root cause failure analysis of products, assemblies, and components toidentifycorrective and preventative actions that improve design and manufacturing processes.
• Communicate project risks, technical findings, and deviations clearly across all levels of the organization; support mitigation activities.
• Provide technical support to other functional groups within the organization andassistin the acceptance and implementation of new tools and techniques.

What You Will Need

• Education and experience:Associate's degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, or a related technical discipline (Bachelor's in Engineeringpreferred);ORan equivalent combination of technical training and hands-on test lab experience (e.g., 4+ years as a hardware test technician with demonstrated growth into procedure development, formal reporting, and independent test execution).
• Minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience in product development, qualification, or compliance testing.
• Strong working knowledge of standard electronics test equipment including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, programmable power supplies, and data loggers.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics and perform basic electrical calculations.
• Demonstrated experience with data gathering, analysis, and technical report generation.
• Strong computer skills, highly proficient using MS Word and Excel (pivot tables, charts, lookups).
• Fluent in English with strong verbal and written technical communication skills.
• Capable of working in a team environment and independently with minimal supervision; reacts well under pressure, accepts responsibility for own actions, and follows through on commitments.

What Will Set You Apart (Preferred Qualifications)

Prior experience executing formal regulatory or compliance testing is the single strongest differentiator for this role. What we care about is that you have worked in a structured, requirements-driven test environment where procedures, deviations, and results must withstand external scrutiny. Experience with any of the following standards families is highly valued:

• Lithium battery transport testing — UN 38.3, IATA DGR, 49 CFR 173.185
• Environmental qualification — MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, IEC 60068
• EMC / EMI testing — MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, CISPR, FCC Part 15, IEC 61000-4-x
• Product safety and agency testing — UL, IEC 62133, CE, TUV, CSA
• Experience working with or coordinating third-party accredited test labs (A2LA, ISO/IEC 17025)

Additional pluses:

• Hands-on experience with environmental chambers (Cincinnati Sub-Zero, Thermotron, ESPEC) and Watlow controllers.
• Experience with battery cyclers (Maccor, Chroma, Arbin) and battery fuel-gauging techniques.
• Experience with electrodynamic vibration and mechanical shock systems.
• Familiarity with EMC pre-compliance tools (ESD guns, LISN, spectrum analyzers).
• Experience developing automated test equipment (ATE).
• Direct experience working with lithium batteries, chargers, and battery management systems.

Growth Path

This position has a clearly defined progression to Qualification Engineer II, with mentorship on regulatory ownership, cross-functional test program leadership, and formal customer-facing qualification reporting. We are actively investing in our test lab capability — including facility expansion, new test capability build-out, and modern automation tooling — and this role will play a direct part in that growth.

Behavioral Attributes We Look For

• Curiosity — asking why a test exists, not just how to run it.
• Comfort with ambiguity — qualification work is full of "the spec is silent on this, what do we do."
• Ownership — following up on late test articles, missing information, or open deviations without being asked.
• Cross-functional communication —abilityto work respectfully with design engineers, program managers, and external labs, including the ability to push back constructively.

Inventus Power is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.