Job Title: Electrical Hardware Design Engineer – UHF RFID Systems
Company: Powercast is a fast-growing wireless technology and product company shipping millions of products per year. Our products primarily focus on wireless power, wireless communications (Bluetooth, NFC, RFID, etc.), and bi-stable e-paper displays. We are seeking eager and hardworking candidates to join our expanding and close-knit team in Pittsburgh, PA. Come join Powercast, named a 2024 & 2025 Best Place to Work by Business Intelligence Group.
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Job Type: Full-Time
Department: Engineering
Reports To: Director of Product Development
Job Summary:
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Electrical Hardware Design Engineer to join our hardware engineering team focused on the development of advanced UHF RFID reader systems. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in the design, development, manufacturing, deployment and ongoing support of high-performance RFID hardware, from concept through production and deployment. This role involves electrical design, schematic capture, PCB layout collaboration, and support across the full product lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities:
• Design and develop electrical hardware for UHF RFID readers and associated systems.
• Create detailed schematics and perform PCB layout using ECAD tools.
• Define component selection, power budgets, performance specifications, cost analysis and user interface design to meet system requirements.
• Collaborate with mechanical, firmware, electrical and RF engineering teams for integrated system design.
• Support contract manufacturing partners with BOM management, test plan creation, cost reduction, design-for-manufacturing and customer issue resolution.
• Assist with system bring-up, calibration, and debugging of prototypes and production units.
• Perform hardware validation, functional testing, and troubleshooting at the system and sub-system level.
• Participate in design reviews and ensure compliance with electrical, mechanical, environmental, thermal, and regulatory constraints.
• Support regulatory certification processes (FCC, CE, MIC etc.) and perform pre-compliance and certification testing for existing and potential new regions.
• Aid in field deployments, troubleshoot in-field hardware issues, and contribute to deployment readiness.
• Maintain thorough documentation including design specifications, theory of operations, test reports, failure analysis, and calibration procedures.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in hardware design for embedded systems or RF products.
• Proficiency in schematic capture (e.g., Altium Designer, OrCAD, KiCAD, etc.).
• Strong understanding of DC power supply design, power regulation, and filtering.
• Experience with mixed-signal circuit design including ADCs, DACs, and microcontroller interfaces.
• Hands-on experience in lab environments using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and other test equipment.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
• Experience in UHF RFID systems design and implementation.
• Strong understanding of RF design principles and RF front-end circuitry.
• Experience designing systems for regulatory compliance (FCC Part 15, ETSI, etc.).
• Knowledge of RF calibration techniques and system-level tuning.
• Familiarity with PCB layout for high-frequency signals and controlled impedance routing.
• Experience working with embedded Linux systems, command-line tools, and scripting (Python/Bash).
• Comfort working with Git, JIRA, and modern version control/build tools.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
What We Offer:
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401k Matching
• Paid Time Off
• Stock Options
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge RFID and IoT technologies
• Collaborative, fast, small, cross-functional team environment
• Exposure to full product lifecycle: from concept to deployment
To Apply:
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and relevant project portfolio or examples of your work (if available) to jobs@powercastco.com