R&D Hardware Engineer Jobs
R&D Hardware Engineer jobs are open from new-grad to principal across semiconductor, defense, consumer electronics, and medical device companies, with specializations in PCB design, analog and mixed-signal circuits, and embedded systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Position: R&D Electrical Hardware & Systems Engineer
At Nexteer, our strength lies in the diversity of our team—each member contributing unique backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. We believe this diversity fuels our innovation, broadens our perspectives, and propels our collective growth.
For over a century, we’ve been innovators in the automotive industry. Our vision is clear - we are a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our unwavering commitment to Quality, Collaboration, Integrity, and Accountability guides us as we solve motion control challenges for our global customers. If you’re ready to join a dynamic team that drives change and makes a difference, Nexteer welcomes you!
About the Role:
We are seeking a highly motivated, innovative, hands-on engineer to join our Research & Development team developing next-generation electromechanical brake (EMB) and brake-by-wire systems for automotive applications.
This role owns the electrical hardware and electrical systems engineering of EMB technologies, from system requirements through prototype validation. The engineer will flow vehicle- and system-level requirements down to electrical hardware, define hardware/software interfaces for sensors and actuators, and develop power electronics, motor drive, sensing, and embedded control hardware for safety-critical braking.
The ideal candidate combines strong theoretical understanding with practical hardware development experience and is passionate about technologies such as wide-bandgap semiconductors, high-power-density motor drives, and fault-tolerant, redundant electrical architectures.
Key Responsibilities
As an R&D Electrical Hardware & Systems Engineer, you will be responsible to:
- Research, develop, and validate electrical hardware for electromechanical brake actuators and brake-by-wire systems.
- Analyze system requirements and flow them down to electrical architecture, hardware, and component-level requirements, maintaining traceability.
- Define and document hardware/software interfaces for sensors (motor position, clamp force, current, temperature, pedal) and actuators, working with software and controls teams.
- Design, analyze, and optimize analog, digital, mixed-signal, sensing, motor drive, and power electronic circuits, including redundant and fail-operational/fail-safe designs.
- Develop schematics and support PCB layout for electronic control units and power stages.
- Evaluate emerging technologies including wide-bandgap semiconductors, advanced motor drive topologies, and power architectures for 12V/48V systems.
- Build, test, troubleshoot, and validate prototypes in lab, and vehicle environments.
- Lead or participate in design reviews, DFMEA, and functional safety analyses.
- Collaborate with systems, controls, software, mechanical, safety, manufacturing, and validation teams, and document designs, analyses, and test results.
- Interface with suppliers, industry partners, and research organizations on emerging technologies.
Required Qualifications
- Strong understanding of electrical circuit design, analysis, simulation, and troubleshooting across analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronic circuits.
- Knowledge of power electronics, switching converters, power semiconductor devices, and motor control electronics.
- Experience with electrical systems engineering, including requirements analysis, flow-down to hardware, and interface definition.
- Understanding of sensor interfacing and signal conditioning, and of hardware/software interaction with microcontrollers (ADC, PWM, SPI, SENT, CAN).
- Experience with design and simulation tools such as OrCAD, PSpice, PLECS, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent.
- Familiarity with PCB design using Mentor Graphics Xpedition or equivalent, including signal integrity, power distribution, thermal management, and EMI/EMC.
- Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, logic analyzers) and strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with Microsoft office tools (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).
- Must be able to look at computer screen/monitor for extended periods of time
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with electromechanical brake, brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire, or other safety-critical automotive actuator systems.
- Working knowledge of ISO 26262 functional safety, including hardware metrics, safety mechanisms, and redundant architectures.
- Experience with wide-bandgap (GaN/SiC) devices and high power-density motor drive design.
- Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Polarion) and model-based systems engineering (e.g., SysML).
- Working knowledge of CAN FD, CAN XL, Automotive Ethernet (10BASE-T1S/100BASE-T1), and embedded control systems.
- Ability to read embedded software written in C; experience with LabVIEW and HIL test systems.
- Familiarity with automotive development processes (ASPICE, DVP&R), DFMEA, and design verification methodologies.
Education Requirements
- Master’s degree in electrical engineering with 3+ years of relevant experience in power electronics, automotive electronics, or electrical systems engineering.
- PhD preferred.
About Nexteer
Nexteer Automotive is a global leader in advanced steering and motion control systems, enabling intuitive, safe, and comfortable mobility for drivers around the world. Our innovative product portfolio includes Electric Power Steering (EPS), Steer-by-Wireâ„¢, Driveline, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies that support electrification, software-defined vehicles, and autonomous driving.
With approximately 13,000 employees and operations in more than 20 manufacturing plants and multiple technical centers globally, Nexteer partners with nearly every major global and regional automotive manufacturer.
Employment Agencies
Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired.
Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer’s Human Resources team. No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency.
Position: R&D Electrical Hardware & Systems Engineer
At Nexteer, our strength lies in the diversity of our team—each member contributing unique backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. We believe this diversity fuels our innovation, broadens our perspectives, and propels our collective growth.
For over a century, we’ve been innovators in the automotive industry. Our vision is clear - we are a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our unwavering commitment to Quality, Collaboration, Integrity, and Accountability guides us as we solve motion control challenges for our global customers. If you’re ready to join a dynamic team that drives change and makes a difference, Nexteer welcomes you!
About the Role:
We are seeking a highly motivated, innovative, hands-on engineer to join our Research & Development team developing next-generation electromechanical brake (EMB) and brake-by-wire systems for automotive applications.
This role owns the electrical hardware and electrical systems engineering of EMB technologies, from system requirements through prototype validation. The engineer will flow vehicle- and system-level requirements down to electrical hardware, define hardware/software interfaces for sensors and actuators, and develop power electronics, motor drive, sensing, and embedded control hardware for safety-critical braking.
The ideal candidate combines strong theoretical understanding with practical hardware development experience and is passionate about technologies such as wide-bandgap semiconductors, high-power-density motor drives, and fault-tolerant, redundant electrical architectures.
Key Responsibilities
As an R&D Electrical Hardware & Systems Engineer, you will be responsible to:
- Research, develop, and validate electrical hardware for electromechanical brake actuators and brake-by-wire systems.
- Analyze system requirements and flow them down to electrical architecture, hardware, and component-level requirements, maintaining traceability.
- Define and document hardware/software interfaces for sensors (motor position, clamp force, current, temperature, pedal) and actuators, working with software and controls teams.
- Design, analyze, and optimize analog, digital, mixed-signal, sensing, motor drive, and power electronic circuits, including redundant and fail-operational/fail-safe designs.
- Develop schematics and support PCB layout for electronic control units and power stages.
- Evaluate emerging technologies including wide-bandgap semiconductors, advanced motor drive topologies, and power architectures for 12V/48V systems.
- Build, test, troubleshoot, and validate prototypes in lab, and vehicle environments.
- Lead or participate in design reviews, DFMEA, and functional safety analyses.
- Collaborate with systems, controls, software, mechanical, safety, manufacturing, and validation teams, and document designs, analyses, and test results.
- Interface with suppliers, industry partners, and research organizations on emerging technologies.
Required Qualifications
- Strong understanding of electrical circuit design, analysis, simulation, and troubleshooting across analog, digital, mixed-signal, and power electronic circuits.
- Knowledge of power electronics, switching converters, power semiconductor devices, and motor control electronics.
- Experience with electrical systems engineering, including requirements analysis, flow-down to hardware, and interface definition.
- Understanding of sensor interfacing and signal conditioning, and of hardware/software interaction with microcontrollers (ADC, PWM, SPI, SENT, CAN).
- Experience with design and simulation tools such as OrCAD, PSpice, PLECS, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent.
- Familiarity with PCB design using Mentor Graphics Xpedition or equivalent, including signal integrity, power distribution, thermal management, and EMI/EMC.
- Hands-on experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, logic analyzers) and strong debugging and root-cause analysis skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with Microsoft office tools (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).
- Must be able to look at computer screen/monitor for extended periods of time
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with electromechanical brake, brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire, or other safety-critical automotive actuator systems.
- Working knowledge of ISO 26262 functional safety, including hardware metrics, safety mechanisms, and redundant architectures.
- Experience with wide-bandgap (GaN/SiC) devices and high power-density motor drive design.
- Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Polarion) and model-based systems engineering (e.g., SysML).
- Working knowledge of CAN FD, CAN XL, Automotive Ethernet (10BASE-T1S/100BASE-T1), and embedded control systems.
- Ability to read embedded software written in C; experience with LabVIEW and HIL test systems.
- Familiarity with automotive development processes (ASPICE, DVP&R), DFMEA, and design verification methodologies.
Education Requirements
- Master’s degree in electrical engineering with 3+ years of relevant experience in power electronics, automotive electronics, or electrical systems engineering.
- PhD preferred.
About Nexteer
Nexteer Automotive is a global leader in advanced steering and motion control systems, enabling intuitive, safe, and comfortable mobility for drivers around the world. Our innovative product portfolio includes Electric Power Steering (EPS), Steer-by-Wireâ„¢, Driveline, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies that support electrification, software-defined vehicles, and autonomous driving.
With approximately 13,000 employees and operations in more than 20 manufacturing plants and multiple technical centers globally, Nexteer partners with nearly every major global and regional automotive manufacturer.
Employment Agencies
Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired.
Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer’s Human Resources team. No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency.
R&D Hardware Engineer Jobs by Experience Level
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Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail
- Aerospace & Defense
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in R&D hardware engineer jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related field
- Proficiency in PCB schematic capture and layout using tools such as Cadence Allegro or Altium Designer
- Experience with analog, digital, or mixed-signal circuit design and verification
- Hands-on hardware debug and bring-up experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and bench instruments
- Familiarity with hardware development lifecycles from concept through design verification testing
- Knowledge of relevant compliance standards such as IPC, FCC, CE, or MIL-SPEC depending on the target market
Tips for Your R&D Hardware Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume to each hardware domain
Defense contractors and consumer electronics companies look for different things. Highlight EDA tools and design rule compliance for semiconductor roles, and shift to systems integration and ruggedization when targeting aerospace or defense listings. One resume template won't serve both.
List every EDA and simulation tool you've touched
Hiring managers scan for specific tools like Cadence, Altium, Mentor PADS, SPICE, and MATLAB. If you've used them in a lab setting or academic project, name them explicitly. Vague phrases like 'hardware design tools' get filtered out by applicant tracking systems before anyone reads your resume.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists r&d hardware engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Show prototype-to-production experience clearly
Many r&d hardware engineer postings specifically require bring-up and debug experience, not just design work. If you've taken a board from schematic through DVT or into pilot production, say so explicitly on your resume and in your cover letter, with the product stage it reached.
Prepare for a hardware design exercise in interviews
Most r&d hardware engineer interviews include a whiteboard or take-home circuit design problem. Practice explaining your component selection rationale, thermal management decisions, and trade-offs out loud. Interviewers care as much about your reasoning process as the final schematic.
Negotiate relocation and lab access in your offer
Many r&d hardware roles require on-site lab access, so relocation packages are common and negotiable. Before accepting, clarify which facilities you'll have access to, whether you'll share equipment with other teams, and what the lab budget looks like for your projects.
R&D Hardware Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most r&d hardware engineers?
The most active employers for r&d hardware engineers right now are Axon, Keysight Technologies, and Nexteer Automotive, and the most openings are in California, Massachusetts, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Activity shifts frequently as product cycles ramp up, so checking current listings gives you the most accurate picture.
How many r&d hardware engineer jobs are remote?
About 67% of r&d hardware engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, which is lower than many software roles because lab and bench access is often required. Sub-areas like firmware-adjacent hardware, signal integrity analysis, and documentation-heavy roles tend to have the highest share of remote or hybrid arrangements.
How do you become a r&d hardware engineer?
Most r&d hardware engineers start with a degree in electrical or computer engineering, building hands-on experience through lab coursework, senior capstone projects, or internships doing real PCB design and bring-up. From there, entry-level roles focus on design support and debug, and engineers move into full ownership of subsystems as they demonstrate they can take hardware from schematic to working prototype.
How do you get hired as a r&d hardware engineer with little experience?
Build a portfolio of physical projects, even if they started as class assignments or personal builds, and document the design decisions, failures, and iterations you went through. Hiring managers in hardware value demonstrated hands-on problem-solving over credentials alone. Internships and co-ops at companies with real lab environments are the fastest way to close an experience gap before applying to full-time roles.
What does the r&d hardware engineer interview process look like?
Most r&d hardware engineer interviews include a recruiter phone screen, a technical phone or video interview covering circuit fundamentals and design trade-offs, and an on-site or virtual loop with senior engineers. Expect at least one whiteboard or take-home design exercise where you're asked to design and defend a circuit. Some companies also include a lab or bench exercise to assess hands-on debug skills.
Where can I find and apply to r&d hardware engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to r&d hardware engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from companies across the United States. Each listing is applied to directly, so you can move quickly on roles that match your background. Find the roles that fit your experience and specialization below and apply directly to each one.
See All 29 R&D Hardware Engineer Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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