Ask: How do you find a hardware engineer for side projects?

I've have a hardware idea that I'd like to develop but I can't seem to find a solid hardware engineer to work with. It's a pretty simply idea and could be implemented with something like Arduino, and I've played around enough to know it's feasible, etc. I'm at a point where I'd like to move forward but I'm not sure exactly how.

Also, is it worthwhile to file a patent before developing the hardware?

Would a good hardware guy typically know about patenting?

Lastly I'm located in Denver, CO if anyone wants to reach out to me, my contact info is in my profile.

Update - sorry, my bad, it's an electronic hardware project, if you have experience working with sensors that detect motion, that's the key thing I'm struggling to get working correctly.

Thanks in advance HN