Hardware Engineer

HIGH-SPEED HARDWARE ENGINEER

Portland, OR (hybrid)

$125-175k

Direct Hire

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About the Role

Youll own a high-speed digital board from start to finish. It runs at 9 Gbps and up, and several of its parts are going end of life, so the job is to swap them out, update the schematics and prove the new version performs just like the old one. The board material may change too, which puts even more weight on validation. Your time splits about evenly between design and hands-on lab work, so youre never stuck at a desk or on a bench all year. A dedicated layout team handles routing, which lets you focus on circuit design and the lab. Engineers on this team tend to stay for years, and theres a path to conversion if you want it.

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What Youll Do

• Update schematics and pick replacement parts for components going end of life without giving up high-speed performance.

• Plan and run full design validation, from test plans and setup through characterization and final reports.

• Characterize SERDES links with PAM4 and NRZ signaling using high-speed sampling scopes, BERT and pattern generators.

• Track down signal integrity, jitter, phase noise and CDR problems and drive the design fixes.

• Weigh board material and stack-up changes against their effect on high-speed performance.

• Give the layout team clear routing constraints, stack-up guidance and design rules.

• Design and review power supplies and power distribution for low-noise high-speed circuits.

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Required Skills

• BSEE or a similar engineering degree.

• 6+ years of circuit and board design, with designs you personally took all the way to manufacturing.

• Hands-on lab verification of your own designs.

• Experience owning the full cycle yourself, from requirements through design, bring-up and release, not as one small piece of a big team.

• Ability to get up to speed fast in Cadence OrCAD if it isnt your current schematic tool.

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Preferred Skills

• Strong high-speed digital design fundamentals across everything but layout, including SERDES and signal and power integrity.

• Time on high-speed sampling scopes like the Keysight DCA-X or N1000, plus BERT and pattern generators.

• Hands-on PAM4, CDR and phase noise work.

• Power supply design.

• VNA measurements or validation against standards like PCIe or OIF-CEI.

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Schedule and Work Environment

This role is on-site five days a week in the Portland area, with some flexibility. About half your time is in the lab with the hardware, so youll need to be local. A drug test and pre-employment screening are required.

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Skip the wait

Book 15 minutes with me and Ill walk you through whether this is worth your time. Book a quick call (https://talentassistant.actalentservices.com/assistant/bookings/CxcdJ-NZ)

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Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Tualatin, OR.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $85.00/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)

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Tualatin, OR.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 16, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Tualatin,OR.

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 [email protected] 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.