Job Title: Director of Embedded and Electrical Engineering
Job Description
The Director of Embedded and Electrical Engineering leads a multidisciplinary team of electrical and embedded design engineers in developing advanced ProAV and embedded systems for medical, defense, and enterprise markets. This is a challenging, hands-on leadership role that combines technical excellence, project execution, and people development to ensure the next generation of high-performance products meets design, quality, and schedule objectives. The Director plays a critical role in product development and engineering, guiding architecture and design decisions while mentoring engineers and driving results in a fast-paced, high-impact environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of embedded hardware architectures that meet performance requirements and production cost targets by conducting trade studies and defining detailed architecture requirements.
- Direct schematic capture and review PCB layouts, ensuring best practices for signal integrity, EMI/EMC mitigation, and thermal management are consistently applied.
- Integrate microcontrollers, FPGAs, and SoCs with communication interfaces such as I²C, SPI, USB, Ethernet, CAN, RS-232/422/485, and PCIe to create robust embedded solutions.
- Support firmware and HDL (Verilog/VHDL) development for embedded control, communication, and real-time video transport, collaborating closely with firmware and FPGA engineers.
- Oversee and contribute to the design of analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits for video, control, and power systems, ensuring high technical quality and reliability.
- Define and execute design verification and validation testing, including board bring-up, stress testing, and environmental qualification, to confirm product performance and durability.
- Drive continuous improvement in design methodologies, simulation practices, and documentation standards to reduce errors and improve design cycle time.
- Conduct and participate in peer reviews of designs, circuits, and code to uphold technical standards and encourage knowledge sharing across the team.
- Troubleshoot complex design and integration challenges across analog, digital, and high-speed domains, performing thorough root cause analysis to resolve issues effectively.
- Develop, implement, and maintain hardware engineering processes aimed at reducing design errors and improving overall efficiency and cycle time.
- Maintain proper engineering documentation, version control, and technical archives for all projects to ensure traceability and long-term supportability.
- Interface with internal teams, customers, and vendors to define requirements and ensure satisfaction with delivered solutions, acting as a key technical point of contact.
- Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of electrical and embedded engineers, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and accountable environment.
- Exercise independent judgment and discretion in project management, including scheduling, resource planning, and milestone tracking, to keep projects on time and within scope.
- Oversee all stages of electrical design projects from concept through production, ensuring high technical standards, manufacturability, and timely delivery.
- Provide regular status updates and technical guidance to engineering leadership, clearly communicating risks, progress, and mitigation plans.
- Lead formal design and progress reviews such as System Requirements Review (SRR), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and Critical Design Review (CDR), and ensure compliance with applicable standards including IEC, ISO, and MIL-STD.
- Collaborate closely with mechanical, firmware, software, production, and quality assurance teams to achieve integrated product success and smooth transition to manufacturing.
- Champion a culture of creativity, teamwork, tenacity, empathy, critical thinking, and technical curiosity within the engineering organization.
- Lead cost model analysis for hardware designs, ensuring that performance, reliability, and cost objectives are appropriately balanced.
- Ensure customer issues with hardware are investigated thoroughly and documented via structured failure reports such as 8D, and drive corrective and preventive actions.
Essential Skills
- Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
- 10+ years of experience designing and troubleshooting embedded electronic systems in mission-critical or high-reliability industries such as medical, defense, aerospace, or industrial.
- 3+ years of management or team leadership experience leading electrical and embedded engineering teams.
- Proven hands-on experience with schematic capture, circuit simulation, and mixed-signal board-level design.
- Recent hands-on technical experience within the last approximately 5 years, remaining actively engaged in detailed design and troubleshooting.
- Extensive electrical design experience, including the ability to review and edit schematic board layouts and troubleshoot complex designs.
- Experience overseeing products through the full lifecycle, from concept and design through production and field deployment.
- Experience leading cost model analysis for hardware designs and product architectures.
- Proficiency in FPGA development using VHDL and/or Verilog.
- Proficiency in microcontroller firmware development in C.
- Experience with embedded systems development through production and fielding, including support of deployed hardware.
- Proficiency in leading root cause analysis and writing structured failure reports such as 8D for customer hardware issues.
- Ability to conduct and participate in peer reviews of design, circuits, and code to maintain high technical standards.
- Strong electrical troubleshooting skills across analog, digital, mixed-signal, and high-speed domains.
- Ability to write clear, detailed requirements and technical documentation for hardware and embedded systems.
- Experience with schematic board layout tools such as Altium Designer or similar electronic design automation platforms.
- Strong people management skills, including mentoring, coaching, and performance development.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present effectively to both technical and executive audiences.
- Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills with strong attention to detail.
- High level of organization and ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Masters degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
- Experience with video and networking interfaces such as HDMI, DisplayPort, SDI, DVI, and Ethernet.
- Experience working with medical design and test standards such as IEC and ISO.
- Experience working with military design and test standards such as MIL-STD.
- Familiarity with high-speed digital design, including signal integrity considerations and layout constraints.
- Knowledge of power regulation design and best practices for reliable power systems.
- Experience with EMI/EMC compliance and mitigation techniques at board and system level.
- Experience developing systems that incorporate FPGAs and ARM-based SoCs.
- Working knowledge of Ethernet networking concepts, including PHYs and switches.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and working knowledge of the broader Microsoft Office Suite.
- Inspirational leadership and mentoring style focused on team growth, accountability, and technical excellence.
- Hands-on leadership approach that models technical curiosity, ownership, and integrity.
- Strong self-motivation and desire for personal career growth, with a willingness to self-learn and work in new technology domains.
- Ability to work extended hours when needed to meet critical project milestones and customer commitments.
Work Environment
The role is based on-site in Torrance, CA, in a fast-paced, high-impact product development and engineering environment focused on advanced ProAV and embedded systems for medical, defense, and enterprise applications. Work is highly collaborative, with close interaction among electrical, firmware, software, mechanical, production, and quality teams. The environment emphasizes creativity, teamwork, tenacity, empathy, and critical thinking, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and development. Engineers regularly work with modern electronic design tools such as Altium Designer or similar platforms, FPGA and firmware toolchains, and a range of test and validation equipment for board bring-up, stress testing, and environmental qualification. The position is not remote or hybrid and requires regular on-site presence, with flexibility to work extended hours as needed to support project deadlines and product launches.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Torrance, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $180000.00 - $230000.00/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.
BENEFITS: Medical, vision and dental insurance 401(k) with company match (100% of the first 4% in eligible compensation) Flexible Spending Account 2 weeks paid vacation 1 Week sick pay 10 company holidays Group life insurance
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Torrance,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 12, 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.