Hardware Design Engineer (x86 / Xeon Bring-Up)

Colorado Springs, CO (100% On-Site, 5 days/week)

Contract

US Citizenship Required

@Orchard LLC has an immediate need to fulfill a long-term contract role as an Embedded Hardware Engineer with Ethernet Switch experience. The role is in support of a client that builds secure, resilient, micro-edge infrastructure engineered to survive and protect critical communications and data in demanding environments. By fusing high-performance x86 processing, advanced hardware security, and edge software architectures, we deliver high-assurance platforms for national security, defense, and critical infrastructure.

Role Overview

Our Engineering team is seeking a self-motivated Contract Hardware Design Engineer with deep expertise in x86 architecture to drive the bring-up, debugging, and ongoing hardware validation of complex, multicore Intel Xeon processor boards.

In this hands-on role, you will lead early-stage board bring-up, configure and debug AMI BIOS boot flows, and collaborate closely with software engineers to write targeted test utilities and assess system-level application needs. Working within a lean, agile team at our Colorado Springs facility, you will take ownership of board-level verification, signal integrity/bus testing, and overall hardware maintenance across our high-performance compute platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Multicore Xeon Board Bring-Up: Lead the physical and functional bring-up of custom x86 boards featuring Intel Xeon processors, from first power-on through full operational stability.
• AMI BIOS Integration & Debugging: Configure, debug, and troubleshoot AMI BIOS during initial boot phases; isolate issues spanning hardware interfaces, memory initialization, PCIe training, and boot sequence execution.
• Microprocessor & Boot Sequence Validation: Leverage deep knowledge of modern x86 power-on sequences, reset logic, clock distribution, and memory controller behavior to identify and resolve complex system bring-up blocks.
• Software Collaboration & Test Program Development: Work alongside software and embedded systems engineers to define, create, and execute custom test programs to stress board peripherals, validate interfaces, and ensure hardware aligns with end-application requirements.
• Hardware Maintenance & Debugging: Use lab tools (logic analyzers, high-speed oscilloscopes, JTAG debuggers, in-circuit emulators) to conduct board-level rework, signal integrity checks, and root-cause failure analysis.
• Independent Execution: Take full accountability for assigned bring-up tasks with light guidance, serving as a reliable technical point-of-contact within a close-knit engineering unit.

Requirements & Qualifications

Mandatory Prerequisites

• Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen (due to compliance and program security mandates).

• Processor Architecture: Proven hands-on experience bringing up and debugging high-density multicore Intel Xeon (or modern x86) enterprise compute boards.
• BIOS / Firmware Expertise: Practical experience working directly with AMI BIOS, including early execution phases (PEI/DXE), UEFI setup, and debugging hardware-to-firmware handoffs.
• System Boot Sequences: Thorough understanding of x86 hardware startup sequences, power sequencing, low-level bus topologies (PCIe, UPI/QPI, I2C/SMBus, LPC/eSPI), and DDR memory training.
• Hardware Debugging & Maintenance: Demonstrated ability to isolate hardware defects, perform board modification/rework, and apply lab instruments (scopes, logic analyzers, bus sniffers) to resolve hardware bugs.
• Software / Test Development: Ability to write low-level scripts or functional test applications in C, Python, or assembly to validate hardware subsystems and interface components.
• Team Dynamics: Self-directed, highly motivated engineering professional who thrives in a fast-moving, small-team environment under minimal supervision.

Preferred Experience

• Experience developing high-reliability, ruggedized, or defense-grade hardware systems.
• Background working with Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs) and IPMI interfaces.
• Knowledge of thermal, power-delivery, and high-speed PCB design layout considerations for x86 processor architectures.

Established in 2010, @Orchard LLC has an exceptional reputation, providing staffing solutions to time-sensitive talent scarcity issues to deliver better talent management ROI.  Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skill set, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery. To learn more about our other exciting opportunities, visit our Jobs Page at www.atOrchard.com.