Hardware R&D Validation Engineer

Position Title: Hardware R&D Validation Engineer

Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting contract opportunity for a Hardware R&D Validation Engineer with our client located in Bellevue, Washington (Onsite).

Job Description:

• This is a high-impact role sitting at the intersection of design and testing, perfect for a technical "Swiss Army Knife" who thrives in the early stages of product development.

Job Responsibilities:

• Our client is seeking a proactive engineer/technician to bridge the gap between initial design and final validation. You will be the primary driver for bringing new hardware to life and ensuring the R&D team has a stable platform for testing.
• First-Article Platform Bring-up: Lead the initial power-on and functional verification of prototype boards (PCBA); troubleshoot power sequencing, clocks, and basic communication interfaces.
• R&D Rework & Prototyping: Perform high-precision soldering and "white-wire" modifications on dense PCBs to implement design fixes or enable specific test scenarios.
• System-Level Triage: Debug platform-level issues by identifying whether failures originate in the hardware (signal integrity/components), firmware, or the Linux OS environment.
• Layout & Schematic Support: Utilize Altium (or similar) to update schematics and PCB layouts based on R&D discoveries, ensuring design documentation matches the physical prototypes.
• Firmware & Environment Management: Flash and debug firmware (MCU/FPGA), manage Linux-based test environments, and use command-line tools to monitor system health and logs.

Job Qualifications:

• Experience Level: No Bachelor’s degree required; proven "hands-on" R&D or lab experience is the priority.
• Hardware Intuition: Strong understanding of electrical engineering principles with the ability to "read" a board and understand signal flow.
• Mastery of the Bench: Expert-level soldering and rework skills (BGA, 0201 components, trace cutting, and jumping).
• Problem-Solving: A "root-cause" mindset—you don’t just report a failure; you investigate why it happened and how to fix it physically.
• Independence: Ability to take a raw prototype and a schematic and figure out the path to a functional "heartbeat."

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Validation Tooling: Experience designing custom test fixtures or "bed-of-nails" setups to automate R&D measurements.
• Scripting: Proficiency in Python or Bash for automating repetitive hardware tests or parsing serial data.
• Embedded Fundamentals: Familiarity with microcontrollers and low-level protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe) using logic analyzers and high-speed scopes.
• Design Tools: Strong preference for candidates with Altium Designer experience for schematic and layout tweaks.OS Proficiency: Deep comfort within a Linux/Unix command-line environment for system configuration and debugging.

Job Details:

• Job Type: Contract
• Pay Rate Range: $45/hr-$70/hr.
• Location: Bellevue, WA (Onsite).

Benefits Package: Protingent offers competitive salaries, insurance plan options (HDHP plan or POS plan), education/certification reimbursement, pre-tax commuter benefits, Paid Time Off (PTO), and an administered 401k plan.

About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.