Application & System Integration Engineer – Hardware Designer

Application & System Integration Engineer – Hardware Designer

Job Reference: Ref. 70. 25. 407

Employer: International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL)

Location: Braga, Portugal

Group/Unit: Piteira Research Group

Number of Vacancies: 1

Employment Type: Full time

Contract Duration: 14 months

Open Date for Applications: November 7, 2025

Closing Date for Applications: November 27, 2025, 23h00m (Lisbon Time)

Key Words: Hardware
Design, Embedded
Systems, PCBDesign, EMC/EMI

Overview

The Piteira Research Group – System Engineering – is dedicated to bringing advanced nanotechnology into mainstream applications within the semiconductor, biomedical, agri‑food, industrial, and industrial markets. We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative Hardware Designer to join our group within the scope of nationally funded projects. The candidate will lead and contribute to the design, assembly, and characterization of advanced hardware systems, including embedded electronic systems with sensing and actuators designed and fabricated at INL for agri‑food and biomedical applications.

Job Duties

• Create schematics and PCB layouts using industry‑standard tools (Altium, Ki
  Cad).
• Perform hardware validation, characterization, and debugging across various operating conditions.
• Collaborate with firmware, mechanical, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless integration.
• Develop and execute test plans, including automated test setups and data analysis, supporting IC design testing and characterization.
• Design and develop embedded hardware systems including microcontroller, So
  C, and FPGA‑based platforms (preferred).

Qualifications

Education: MSc in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field with a focus on hardware development.

Experience and Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of embedded systems, signal integrity, and power management.
• Experience with microcontrollers, So
  Cs, and communication interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN) and wireless sub‑systems (BLE, Zigbee).
• Power supply design and regulation (DC/DC converters, LDOs).
• PCB layout best practices for high‑speed and mixed‑signal designs.
• Development of test protocols and fixtures.
• Measurement and analysis of electrical parameters under varying conditions.
• Debugging and failure analysis using lab instrumentation.

Other Valued Skills and Qualifications:

• Proficiency with design tools such as Altium Designer, Or
  CAD, Ki
  Cad, or similar.
• Experience with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, multimeters, etc.
• Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Lab
  VIEW) for test automation.
• Experience with FPGA design and programming (VHDL, Verilog).
• Ph
  D in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field with a focus on hardware development.

Personal Skills:

• Strong problem‑solving skills, creativity, and ability to work independently in an exploratory research environment.
• Previous experience working on groundbreaking technologies in a collaborative, intellectually rich environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Tax benefits and other diplomatic privileges.
• Private health insurance.
• Family allowance (according to family situation).
• Free nursery service at INL premises (subject to availability).
• Support for education fees of dependent children.
• Relocation support.
• 30 working days of annual leave.

How to Apply

The application must be in English and include the following mandatory documents:

1. Cover letter.
2. Curriculum Vitae.
3. Academic and/or professional diplomas.
4. Recognition of academic degrees (only for degrees awarded by non‑Portuguese higher education institutions). The candidate must present the certificate of recognition issued by the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education or by a Portuguese public higher education institution.

Online application instructions:

1. The application is made online by clicking the “Apply” button.
2. The candidate must complete all required sections of the online application form.
3. The candidate must submit the mandatory documents mentioned above in PDF format and include them in the “Additional files” section using the “Add portfolio” button.

Incomplete applications lacking mandatory documents or containing inaccurate information will not be considered.

Equal Opportunity and Non‑Discrimination Principle

INL follows a non‑discrimination and equal access principle. No candidate can be privileged, benefited, impaired or deprived of any rights whatsoever, or be exempt of duties based on any possible discriminatory issues. The advertisement deadline may be extended at any time without previous notice.

About INL

The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory – INL (http://www.inl. int) is the first and only intergovernmental organisation in the world entirely focused on nanoscience and nanotechnology. It was founded under an international legal framework to perform interdisciplinary research, deploy and communicate nanotechnology for the benefit of society. INL aims to be a recognised leading global nanotechnology innovation hub.