Job Title: Principal Electrical Engineer
Job Description
The Principal Electrical Engineer leads the design, development, and sustaining engineering of complex embedded electronic systems, with a strong focus on medical devices. This role analyzes and redesigns electrical circuits, manages changes across the product lifecycle, and ensures compliance with safety, EMC, wireless, and regulatory standards. The engineer collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, high-quality products and plays a key role in rebuilding and strengthening the engineering organization.
Responsibilities
Analyze existing electrical circuits and identify suitable substitutes for obsolete components while maintaining or improving performance and reliability.
Design new electrical circuits and modify printed circuit board (PCB) layouts to meet product requirements and regulatory standards.
Lead Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) for electronic design changes, coordinating with mechanical engineering, software, regulatory, manufacturing, and quality teams.
Conduct product development activities, including prototyping, testing, and supporting pilot builds, verification and validation activities, and risk assessments.
Interface with internal and external suppliers and manufacturers to support the design, qualification, and implementation of test and fabrication fixtures.
Create clear, complete, and traceable product requirements and translate them into robust electrical designs.
Identify, assess, and mitigate design and product risks, and develop and implement mitigation and resolution plans with limited guidance.
Troubleshoot complex PCBs and embedded systems at the system and board level, using structured root cause analysis methodologies.
Support sustaining engineering activities, including life cycle management of devices, supplier change notifications, and documentation updates.
Ensure designs meet applicable safety, EMC, and wireless compliance requirements for medical products.
Apply design controls and change management processes to maintain regulatory compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
Document findings, design decisions, test results, and root cause analyses in a clear and compliant manner.
Collaborate effectively within a small electrical design team and a broader R&D organization, sharing knowledge and best practices.
Contribute to a positive engineering culture focused on quality, continuous improvement, and cross-functional collaboration.
Essential Skills
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
6+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer, including at least 3 years working on medical devices.
Strong experience in analog circuit design involving ADCs, DACs, operational amplifiers, solenoids, motor drivers, and switching regulators.
Heavy, hands-on experience designing PCB boards using Altium Designer or similar CAD tools.
Proficiency in system-level troubleshooting of embedded systems and complex PCBs.
Experience designing medical products for compliance with safety, EMC, and wireless specifications.
Solid understanding of design controls and change management in a regulated environment.
Experience with documentation related to engineering change orders, supplier change notifications, and life cycle management of devices.
Ability to identify root causes of design issues using structured methodologies and to clearly document findings.
Ability to identify potential design and product issues, assess their impact, and develop and implement mitigation and resolution plans with limited guidance.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience with Altium Designer is preferred; experience with other PCB design tools such as OrCAD is also valuable.
Knowledge of ISO standards and other regulatory and legislative requirements applicable to the development of medical devices.
Experience working with ventilators or similar life-supporting medical equipment.
Expereince in analog design topics such as motor control, switching regulators, op-amps, and EMC considerations.
Familiarity with wireless technologies and their integration into medical devices.
Experience with design control, change management, and sustaining change management in a regulated industry.
Strong documentation skills to support regulatory, quality, and manufacturing needs.
Work Environment
This is a full-time, onsite role with a standard schedule of 40 hours per week and no expected overtime. You will work as part of a focused electrical design team of approximately 3-5 people within a larger R&D organization of about 20 team members. The environment emphasizes collaboration, a strong engineering culture, and a commitment to rebuilding and strengthening the team. The company operates in the medical ventilation space and is in a growth and transformation phase, including plans to move to a new location in the coming year. You will work with modern electronic design tools such as Altium Designer and other CAD and documentation systems, and you will regularly interact with cross-functional partners in mechanical engineering, software, regulatory, manufacturing, and quality.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Irvine, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $65.00 - $80.00/hr.
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)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Irvine,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on May 12, 2026.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:
Hiring diverse talent
Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
Ensuring growth opportunities for our people
Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we've helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC-with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000+ extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.
Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.
