Optical Lab Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

The Sr. Hardware Engineer designs and supports high‑reliability printed circuit board assemblies for harsh environment Layer 2 and Layer 3 industrial Ethernet switches. This role focuses on board‑level hardware design, low voltage power supply design, and embedded CPU/SoC architectures, while ensuring products meet performance, manufacturability, and compliance requirements throughout their lifecycle. You will contribute from initial concept and requirements analysis through verification, compliance, and field support, with clear opportunities to grow from verification into deeper design responsibilities.

• Design printed circuit board assemblies for harsh environment Layer 2 and Layer 3 industrial Ethernet switches, including switch and PHY circuitry.
• Perform electrical hardware design that integrates low voltage power supplies (DC up to 138V), DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM, NOR/NAND flash, and embedded CPUs/SoCs.
• Develop both analog and digital circuitry at the board level, ensuring robust performance in industrial and harsh environmental conditions.
• Execute comprehensive hardware verification on new products, including bench testing, debug, and validation of design requirements.
• Provide lifecycle support for products from inception through end of life, including investigation and resolution of field issues not handled by field support personnel.
• Analyze and interpret new product requirements to ensure designs meet commercial, technical, and reliability objectives.
• Design for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) at the schematic level to enable successful compliance with relevant standards.
• Contribute to low voltage power supply design, including power architecture, regulation, and protection for DC inputs up to 138V.
• Collaborate on industrial Ethernet switching design at the circuit level, including Layer 2/3 switching, PHY interfaces, and high‑speed Ethernet (1Gb/10Gb) design.
• Create and maintain clear, accurate schematics and design documentation using schematic entry tools.
• Provide input into manufacturing processes to support design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for test (DFT), helping ensure products can be built with low overhead and high quality.
• Support or participate in compliance and certification activities, including EMC and safety testing (such as UL, CSA, TUV, FCC) as needed.
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams, including firmware, test, and manufacturing, to resolve design issues and improve product performance.
• Mentor and support less experienced engineers as appropriate, sharing knowledge in areas such as power design, EMC, and high‑speed digital design.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design practices, lab processes, and verification methodologies in a well‑equipped engineering lab environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or Computer Engineering (BSCE).
• At least 6 years of experience in both analog and digital board‑level hardware design.
• At least 6 years of experience in low voltage power supply design with DC inputs up to 138V.
• Hands‑on experience designing embedded CPU, microprocessor, or SoC‑based hardware platforms, including integration of DDR3/DDR4 SDRAM and NOR/NAND flash.
• Networking hardware design experience, including 1Gb/10Gb Ethernet and switching architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to design for EMC at the schematic level, including component selection, layout guidance, and mitigation strategies.
• Proficiency with schematic entry tools and the creation of detailed, production‑ready schematics.
• Experience with PCB / board‑level hardware design, including integration of Ethernet PHYs, power supplies, and mixed‑signal circuitry.
• Familiarity with industrial Ethernet switching at the circuit level, including Layer 2/3 switch and PHY design.
• Ability to analyze new product requirements and translate them into practical, manufacturable hardware designs.
• Strong troubleshooting and verification skills for new hardware, including use of lab equipment and measurement techniques.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills for working with cross‑functional engineering and manufacturing teams.

• Experience designing for harsh environments, including temperature ranges from -40°C to +75°C.
• Exposure to or experience with EMC compliance testing and safety certifications, such as UL, CSA, TUV, and FCC; willingness to learn and perform on‑site testing is valued.
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) design experience, particularly with IEEE 802.3bt standards.
• Experience with programmable logic or FPGAs in board‑level designs.
• Fiber optic interface design experience, including optical transceivers and related circuitry.
• PCB layout experience, especially for high‑speed and EMI‑sensitive designs, or close collaboration with layout engineers.
• Design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for test (DFT) experience, including working with manufacturing to optimize builds.
• Prior mentoring or technical lead experience, including guiding junior engineers or leading aspects of design projects.
• Familiarity with compliance testing processes and documentation for industrial products.
• Interest in working in a stable, long‑tenured engineering team with a strong product roadmap and access to an extensive, well‑equipped lab.
• Motivation to grow from verification responsibilities into broader design ownership under the guidance of experienced mentors.

The role is based in a normal office and lab environment with a moderate noise level. Work involves regular use of a PC and engineering lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, power supplies, and other test instruments. You will routinely sit, walk, bend, twist, stand, and reach while handling lab setups and hardware. The position may require occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds, such as moving test equipment or prototypes. You should be able to perform consistent work on a computer and in the lab, including sitting and using a keyboard and/or telephone for 8 or more hours per day, 5 days per week. The engineering organization offers a stable, long‑tenured team, a strong product roadmap, and access to a large, well‑equipped lab environment that supports hands‑on design, verification, and compliance activities, as well as mentorship and clear growth paths from verification into deeper design roles.

This is a Permanent position based out of Raleigh, NC.

The pay range for this position is $110000.00 - $130000.00/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.

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This is a fully onsite position in Raleigh,NC.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 28, 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.

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If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

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