Hardware Engineer

The Hardware Engineer leads the design and development of advanced electronic hardware and PCB solutions for next-generation lithium-ion battery systems serving commercial, industrial, defense, and emerging energy markets. This role is ideal for an experienced hardware engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where innovation, ownership, and technical versatility are highly valued. You will play a key role in developing battery electronics, power distribution systems, sensing architectures, and embedded hardware platforms while collaborating closely with firmware, systems, manufacturing, and test engineering teams. The position is well suited to someone with a strong in automotive or other highly regulated product development environments, extensive experience designing complex PCBs in Altium Designer, and a passion for scaling technology within a growing battery-focused organization., * Lead the architecture, design, development, and validation of electronic hardware for lithium-ion battery systems and related power electronics products.

• Design complex multi-layer PCB assemblies using Altium Designer, including schematic capture, component selection, layout guidance, design reviews, and design release management.
• Develop hardware solutions for battery management systems (BMS), sensing circuits, power distribution, safety monitoring, and embedded control systems.
• Collaborate closely with firmware, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of hardware into finished products.
• Perform design trade-off analyses that consider performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, thermal management, EMC/EMI, and scalability.
• Own hardware development throughout the entire product lifecycle, from concept and prototyping through validation, production launch, and field support.
• Apply and promote design best practices including signal integrity, power integrity, grounding strategies, high-voltage isolation, and design-for-manufacturing principles.
• Participate in hardware troubleshooting, root-cause investigations, and failure analysis activities to improve product reliability and performance.
• Support battery system testing, validation, and verification efforts to ensure products meet functional and safety requirements.
• Work directly with suppliers, contract manufacturers, and component vendors to support sourcing, production readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to DFMEA activities, design reviews, risk assessments, and functional safety efforts for hardware systems.
• Support the development of test fixtures, validation equipment, and manufacturing test strategies for hardware and battery systems.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams to elevate hardware engineering capabilities.
• Serve as a hands-on contributor who can adapt quickly, support multiple technical disciplines, and respond to evolving business needs.

Voltage Firmware Debugging Visionary Mentorship Innovation Mitigation Electronics Reliability Prototyping Oscilloscope High Voltage Investigation Risk Analysis Energy Market Accountability Logic Analyzer System Testing Current Sensor Altium Designer Embedded Systems Test Engineering Failure Analysis Microcontrollers Signal Integrity Functional Safety Safety Monitoring Schematic Capture Design Validation Power Electronics Electric Vehicles Power Distribution Electronic Systems Strategic Thinking Thermal Management Library Management Battery Management Root Cause Analysis Electronic Hardware Environmental Tests Digital Electronics Computer Engineering Technical Leadership Laboratory Equipment Architectural Design Production Readiness Printed Circuit Board Hardware Architecture Energy Transformation Electrical Engineering New Product Development Hardware Troubleshooting Communications Protocols Engineering Design Process Building Management System Electric Power Distribution Serial Peripheral Interface Product Lifecycle Management Continuous Improvement Process Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) Design Failure Mode And Effects Analysis Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter Electromagnetic Interference And Compatibility (EMC/EMI), * Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 8+ years of hardware development experience.
• 5+ years of experience designing complex PCB assemblies for automotive, transportation, industrial, energy storage, aerospace, or similar applications.
• Proven experience supporting products from concept through production launch.
• Expert-level experience with Altium Designer for schematic capture, PCB layout, library management, and design release.
• Strong experience in analog and digital circuit design.
• Experience designing high-reliability electronic hardware for automotive or safety-critical applications.
• Experience with embedded microcontrollers and hardware interfaces.
• Knowledge of embedded communication protocols including CAN, CAN-FD, SPI, I2C, UART, and Ethernet.
• Understanding of EMC/EMI requirements and mitigation techniques.
• Experience with power conversion, protection circuits, voltage and current sensing, and thermal management.
• Hands-on experience using laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and environmental testing equipment.
• Strong root-cause analysis and debugging skills., * Prior experience in startup, high-growth, or fast-paced engineering environments.
• Expereince in battery systems, electric vehicles (EV), battery management systems (BMS), power electronics, or energy storage applications.
• Experience with electronic systems design and hardware engineering in regulated industries.
• Ability to provide technical mentorship to junior engineers and contribute to cross-functional leadership.
• Comfort working across multiple technical disciplines and adapting to changing business priorities.

Work Environment

This role operates in a dynamic, high-growth environment where engineers take ownership and accountability for their work and make a direct impact on product direction and organizational growth. You will be expected to wear multiple hats, step outside traditional job boundaries, and tackle difficult technical challenges with limited resources. The position combines strategic thinking with hands-on engineering, requiring frequent collaboration with firmware, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and test teams, as well as interaction with suppliers and contract manufacturers. Laboratory work with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and environmental test equipment is a regular part of the role, supporting design, validation, and troubleshooting activities.experein Job Type & Location, Ann Arbor, MI*On-Site

I2C Voltage Firmware Debugging Visionary Mentorship Innovation Mitigation Electronics Reliability Prototyping Oscilloscope High Voltage Investigation Risk Analysis Energy Market Accountability Logic Analyzer System Testing Current Sensor Altium Designer Embedded Systems Test Engineering Failure Analysis Microcontrollers Signal Integrity Functional Safety Safety Monitoring Schematic Capture Design Validation Power Electronics Electric Vehicles Power Distribution Electronic Systems Strategic Thinking Thermal Management Library Management Battery Management Root Cause Analysis Electronic Hardware Environmental Tests Digital Electronics Computer Engineering Technical Leadership Laboratory Equipment Architectural Design Production Readiness Printed Circuit Board Hardware Architecture Energy Transformation Electrical Engineering New Product Development Hardware Troubleshooting Communications Protocols Engineering Design Process Building Management System Electric Power Distribution Serial Peripheral Interface Product Lifecycle Management Continuous Improvement Process Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) Design Failure Mode And Effects Analysis Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter Electromagnetic Interference And Compatibility (EMC/EMI)

This is a Permanent position based out of Ann Arbor, MI. Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $110000.00 - $150000.00/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.

At East Penn Manufacturing, our people are our greatest asset. You’re at the heart of everything we do, and that’s why we’re dedicated to offering a benefits package that supports you - whereever you are in life. Whether it’s keeping you and your family healthy, helping you plan for the future, or offering resources when you need them most, our 2026 benefits are designed with your unique needs in mind. Below are the key benefits available to regular, full-time employees, working 30 hours or more per week. Explore your options and find what works best for you. Workplace Type

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.