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HIL Engineer - Bench Setup & Integration

Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Job Overview

  • We are seeking a HIL Engineer responsible for building, setting up, integrating, and commissioning Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test benches for automotive electronic control units (ECUs).
  • The engineer will be responsible for the complete HIL bench setup, including hardware installation, electrical wiring, ECU connections, I/O configuration, communication networks, power supplies, signal interfaces, and system integration. The role requires a hands-on engineer who can troubleshoot the bench at the hardware and software level and prepare the HIL environment for testing and validation.

Key Responsibilities

  • Build and configure HIL test benches for automotive ECU testing and validation.
  • Install and integrate HIL hardware, including HIL simulation systems, ECU interfaces, I/O modules, power supplies, signal conditioning units, load boards, relay/switching systems, and measurement equipment.
  • Perform electrical wiring and physical connections between ECUs, HIL systems, breakout boxes, loads, sensors, and other test equipment.
  • Configure ECU power, ignition, ground, analog, digital, PWM, frequency, and other required signals.
  • Configure and troubleshoot automotive communication networks such as CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay, and Ethernet.
  • Set up communication interfaces, network termination, routing, and signal connections.
  • Configure HIL I/O channels and map ECU signals to the simulation environment.
  • Support ECU installation, removal, and connection to HIL benches.
  • Perform bench commissioning, bring-up, and functional checks before testing begins.
  • Verify wiring, pinouts, connectors, voltage levels, signal integrity, and communication interfaces.
  • Troubleshoot HIL bench hardware, electrical, communication, and configuration issues.
  • Use electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, ECU pinouts, interface specifications, and system documentation to build and troubleshoot test setups.
  • Configure and maintain HIL system software and associated test environments.
  • Support integration of plant models and real-time simulation environments.
  • Work with test and validation engineers to prepare the HIL bench for automated and manual testing.
  • Document bench configurations, wiring, hardware changes, issues, and troubleshooting activities.
  • Maintain HIL benches and support upgrades, modifications, and new ECU integrations.

Required Qualifications

  • Engineering degree or equivalent technical background in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
  • Hands-on experience building, configuring, integrating, or troubleshooting HIL test benches.
  • Strong understanding of automotive electrical and electronic systems.
  • Experience working with ECUs, sensors, actuators, I/O systems, and test equipment.
  • Strong knowledge of automotive communication protocols, particularly CAN/CAN FD and LIN.
  • Ability to read and understand electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, ECU pinouts, and connector documentation.
  • Experience with electrical wiring, harnesses, connectors, breakout boxes, and test interfaces.
  • Understanding of ECU power supply, grounding, signal conditioning, and electrical troubleshooting.
  • Strong hands-on troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with HIL platforms such as dSPACE, Vector, NI, ETAS, or Speedgoat.
  • Experience with dSPACE SCALEXIO / MicroAutoBox or similar real-time simulation platforms.
  • Experience with Vector CANoe/CANalyzer.
  • Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and real-time simulation.
  • Experience configuring HIL I/O and signal mapping.
  • Knowledge of CAN, CAN FD, LIN, FlexRay, Automotive Ethernet, UDS, and diagnostics.
  • Experience with ECU flashing, diagnostics, and communication testing.
  • Experience with automotive network databases such as DBC files.
  • Experience with test automation and scripting using Python, CAPL, MATLAB, or similar tools.
  • Understanding of plant models and real-time simulation.

Key Technical Skills

  • HIL Bench Setup & Integration
  • HIL Bench Build
  • HIL Hardware Integration
  • ECU Integration
  • I/O Configuration
  • Signal Mapping
  • Electrical Wiring
  • Bench Commissioning
  • Hardware Troubleshooting
  • Automotive Communication
  • CAN / CAN FD
  • LIN
  • FlexRay
  • Automotive Ethernet
  • UDS / Diagnostics
  • CANoe / CANalyzer
  • HIL Platforms
  • dSPACE
  • Vector
  • NI
  • ETAS
  • Speedgoat
  • Software / Automation
  • MATLAB / Simulink
  • Python
  • CAPL
  • Test Automation
  • Real-Time Simulation
  • Ideal Candidate Profile
  • The ideal candidate is a hands-on HIL Engineer who has physically built and commissioned HIL benches, rather than only executing tests on an established HIL environment.
  • The candidate should be comfortable with wiring ECUs, configuring I/O, connecting sensors and actuators, setting up CAN/LIN/Ethernet communication, configuring HIL hardware, troubleshooting electrical signals, and bringing the complete bench into an operational state.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.

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