Staff Electrical Engineer

Team: Digital & Mixed-Signal Electronics

Location: Austin, TX

Commitment: Full-time

Workplace Type: onsite

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own end-to-end design of complex electronics modules and small systems, from concept and architecture through schematic, layout, test, and production.
• This role focuses on digital and mixed-signal hardware development for space applications. Product lines include state-of-the-art software-defined radios (SDRs), single-board computers (SBCs), and control & telemetry subsystems for complex phased array antenna payloads.
• Lead small teams of hardware engineers to develop new products with multiple electronics modules.
• Develop hardware architecture and write hardware requirements for systems of moderate complexity.
• Perform detailed and complete schematic design for complex boards, ranging from key components to supporting passives.
• Perform detailed PCB layout in Altium Designer for complex boards, often working with a PCB Designer.
• Complete board-level and box-level analysis such as worst-case circuit analysis, signal integrity analysis, and power integrity analysis, and guide interpretation of results.
• Develop bring-up plans and design verification plans for new hardware and systems.
• Perform bring-up and key verification testing of modules and small integrated systems, often working with a technician to complete validation.
• Release modules and assemblies to production, working with the Manufacturing and Test Engineering teams.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers to build technical understanding and professional development.
• Use working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, to streamline development of electronics modules and systems.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree or higher in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in board-level electronics design, analysis, and test.
• Significant experience designing electronics with rigor, in teams that value thorough analysis and testing. Aerospace design experience preferred but not required.
• Expertise in aspects of digital and mixed-signal electronics, such as signal integrity, implementing FPGAs on boards, ADCs/DACs, and telemetry subsystems. Experience with high-speed digital (e.g. 10+ Gbps SerDes) and SDR applications are preferred but not required.
• Experience owning the design phase of complex board-level electronics, including trade studies, key part selection, and detailed design.
• Experience delivering hardware designs through production and deployment.
• Expertise in PCB layout, including high-density interconnect (HDI) stackup design and high-speed routing.
• Experience running board-level signal integrity and/or power integrity simulation tools such as Ansys SIwave, ADS SIPro, or Mentor Hyperlynx.
• Proven success in debugging, root cause analysis, and design reviews.
• Strong working knowledge of adjacent fields, such as software and mechanical, that guides hardware design and system design.
• Expert-level proficiency in electronics design tools such as Altium.
• Extensive lab experience for bring-up and verification of new hardware.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience leading small teams of hardware engineers to develop multi-module assemblies, including hardware architecture, requirements, make/buy decisions, and interconnects.
• Expertise in high-speed digital electronics (e.g. 10+ Gbps SerDes), including signal integrity simulation and lab verification, SerDes optimization (e.g. emphasis and drive level), and high-speed interconnect solutions.
• Expertise in software-defined radio (SDR) applications.
• Direct experience designing high-reliability electronics for space or defense applications, including part derating, worst-case analysis, and thermal constraints.
• Design for space radiation environments.