Contract Embedded Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Electrical Design Engineer III – Digital High-Speed Design & Board Bring-Up

Job Description

This role focuses on designing and validating advanced digital electronic hardware for demanding applications. You will own the full lifecycle of high-speed digital board design, from schematic capture and interface definition through signal integrity analysis, and into the lab for bring-up, verification, and manufacturing readiness. The position is ideal for an electrical engineer who enjoys hands-on digital hardware development, complex PCB design, and collaborative work with layout, firmware, and software teams.

Responsibilities

• Design complex multi-layer digital printed circuit boards (PCBs), including schematic capture, component selection, and participation in design reviews for processor-, FPGA-, and SoC-based boards.
• Define and constrain high-speed digital interfaces, including pin planning, interface budgeting, and the creation of appropriate design constraints.
• Own the digital subsystem architecture for clocking, resets, boot and configuration, and general-purpose I/O.
• Perform pre-layout and post-layout signal integrity analysis and translate results into routing rules, impedance constraints, and layout guidance.
• Partner closely with PCB layout engineers to route dense, high-pin-count devices while meeting high-speed design requirements.
• Lead digital board bring-up, including power-on procedures, clock initialization, interface configuration, and link validation.
• Debug hardware in the lab using high-speed instrumentation and a structured, methodical approach to problem solving.
• Develop, write, and execute functional and interface test plans across relevant operating conditions, document results clearly, and drive root-cause analysis of hardware, firmware, and software integration issues.
• Contribute to manufacturing readiness by applying design-for-manufacturability and design-for-test principles, and by creating bring-up procedures and supporting documentation.
• Collaborate with firmware and software teams during embedded processor and SoC bring-up to ensure robust system integration.
• Support power management design and verification activities as part of the overall digital hardware development process.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent technical discipline.
• Hands-on experience in digital hardware development and ownership of complex digital board designs from schematic through bring-up.
• Strong understanding of high-speed digital design fundamentals, including signal integrity and timing considerations.
• Experience with high-speed memory and/or high-speed serial interfaces in board-level designs.
• Proficiency with industry-standard schematic capture and PCB electronic design management (EDM) tools; experience with the Siemens Xpedition tool chain is strongly preferred.
• Practical lab experience using high-speed test equipment and applying a structured debug methodology.
• Ability to read and interpret datasheets, reference manuals, and user guides and convert them into correct design decisions.
• Knowledge of digital electrical engineering principles, including power management, memory design, and design verification.
• Capability to perform root cause analysis for complex hardware issues.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with processor-, FPGA-, and SoC-based hardware design and associated development toolchains.
• Understanding of EMI and EMC design considerations and their application to digital hardware.
• Experience in high-speed memory or serial interface design and bring-up.
• Experience with signal integrity simulation tools and methodologies.
• Experience bringing up embedded processors and SoCs while working closely with firmware and software teams.
• Exposure to high-reliability or harsh-environment hardware design.
• Scripting skills for test automation and data analysis.
• Interest in contributing to design-for-manufacturability and design-for-test activities.
• Motivation to work on advanced electronic hardware for demanding applications with potential for contract extension or conversion.

Work Environment

You will work primarily on-site in a modern engineering facility with some flexibility for remote work. The team follows an agile, collaborative structure with daily stand-ups and weekly one-on-one meetings to coordinate projects and share progress. You will use advanced digital design tools, including Siemens Xpedition EDM and industry-standard lab instrumentation for high-speed testing and debug. The environment emphasizes close collaboration between hardware, layout, firmware, and software groups, with shared resources across multiple engineering teams. The role is initially structured as a 6-month contract with potential for extension or conversion, offering exposure to complex, cutting-edge hardware projects in a professional, fast-paced setting.

This is a Contract position based out of Redmond, WA.

The pay range for this position is $64.46 - $64.46/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)

This is a fully onsite position in Redmond,WA.

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 3, 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 actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com 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.