Hardware R&D Validation Engineer

Position Title

Hardware R&D Validation Engineer

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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."

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

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.