About the Role Pinnacle Partners is recruiting for an Electronics Hardware Engineer in Sterling, VA. This is a hands-on electronics hardware engineering position supporting the full hardware development lifecycle, from initial circuit and schematic design through PCB layout, prototype bring-up, validation, troubleshooting, and manufacturing transition. The ideal candidate will have experience personally designing electronic circuits and multilayer PCBs, working with analog, digital, and mixed-signal systems, and performing hands-on board bring-up and debugging in a laboratory environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Design analog, digital, power supply, communication, and mixed-signal circuits. Develop schematics and multilayer PCB layouts. Work with approximately 4-8+ layer boards, with current designs primarily utilizing 6- and 8-layer PCBs. Define PCB stackups, grounding strategies, routing rules, and controlled impedance requirements. Perform high-speed routing including differential pairs, impedance control, termination, and length matching. Design MCU and processor-based hardware. Integrate ADCs, DACs, external memory, communications, and isolation circuitry. Create schematic symbols, PCB footprints, and component libraries. Select components and analyze datasheets. Prepare BOMs and manufacturing documentation. Review designs for signal integrity, power integrity, EMI/EMC, and manufacturability. Support PCB fabrication and assembly. Personally perform prototype board bring-up, debugging, troubleshooting, validation, and calibration. Perform soldering and rework when troubleshooting prototype hardware. Develop test procedures and document validation results. Work closely with firmware, mechanical, and manufacturing teams. Support prototype development through transition into production. Take ownership of hardware development activities in a small, fast-paced engineering environment. Identify technical issues and independently drive solutions from design through validation. Support the development of increasingly complex electronics involving mixed-signal systems, high-speed communications, processors, and power-related applications.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field. Approximately 3+ years of hands-on electronics hardware design experience. Experience personally designing electronic circuits and schematics. Strong multilayer PCB design and layout experience. Experience with approximately 6+ layer boards preferred. Analog and digital circuit design experience. Mixed-signal PCB design experience. Knowledge of high-speed PCB routing, including controlled impedance and length matching. MCU or processor-based board design experience. ADC/DAC or comparable mixed-signal interface experience. Hands-on board bring-up, debugging, troubleshooting, and validation experience. Hands-on laboratory experience using oscilloscopes and other electronic test equipment. Understanding of PCB fabrication, assembly, and design for manufacturability. Ability to work independently and take ownership in a small, fast-moving engineering team. Strong technical problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities. Ability to work effectively with firmware, mechanical, manufacturing, and other engineering teams. Ability to work 100% onsite in Sterling, VA.

Preferred:

Altium Designer experience. Experience with Cadence, Allegro, OrCAD, Mentor, KiCad, or similar professional PCB design platforms. STM32 experience. DSP and/or FPGA-based hardware experience. High-speed communications experience with Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet, USB, SPI, CAN, RS-485, or similar interfaces. Experience with SDRAM, DDR, Flash, or other external memory devices. EMI/EMC compliance and testing experience. UL or other regulatory testing experience. System calibration or precision measurement experience. Industrial electronics experience. Instrumentation experience. Power or energy systems experience. High-voltage equipment experience. Data center infrastructure experience. Stronger system-level hardware design and architecture experience for Senior-level candidates. Ability to understand how analog, digital, processing, communications, memory, isolation, and power circuitry interact at the system level. Broader processor knowledge, ideally including MCU, DSP, and FPGA-based systems.

Benefits Overview:

$110K-$160K base salary depending on experience and level. Performance bonus. Paid time off. 401(k) with company match. Health insurance. Dental insurance. Vision insurance. Hands-on exposure to advanced electronics and power infrastructure applications. Opportunity to work across the full hardware development lifecycle from architecture and schematic design through PCB layout, prototype bring-up, validation, and manufacturing. Opportunity for Mid-Level engineers to expand their experience into system architecture, FPGA/DSP hardware, high-speed interfaces, and higher-voltage applications. Opportunity for Senior engineers to provide technical direction while remaining directly involved in design, laboratory work, bring-up, and troubleshooting. Training available on Altium Designer for engineers with experience using other professional PCB design platforms. Product and system training provided. Opportunity to work closely with hardware, firmware, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering teams. Explore More Engineering Opportunities This role falls within our Engineering/Manufacturing division , where we specialize in placing professionals in areas such as: Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Manufacturing/Process Engineering Controls Engineering Project Engineering Technical Sales Operations / Plant Engineering Explore additional Engineering roles and learn more about how we support Engineering professionals: or Manufacturing & Engineering Opportunities #ENG123 About Pinnacle Partners For more than two decades, Pinnacle Partners has been connecting top talent with leading employers across Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and other cities throughout the Midwest. We specialize in Information Technology, Accounting & Finance, Administrative, Human Resources, and Engineering/Manufacturing, offering contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire placements. Job Details Sterling, VA Onsite Up to $160000 per Year Direct Hire