Electrical Engineer

Department: Engineering

Location: Redwood City, CA

Employment Type: FullTime

As an Electrical Engineer at Pilgrim, you will be a hands-on member of our engineering team, driving the design, development, and deployment of advanced biotechnology. This is not a theoretical or routine R&D role—you’ll own initiatives end-to-end, transforming mission needs into prototypes, refining them through field demos and rapid iterations, and engaging directly with operators and decision-makers to ensure breakthroughs reach warfighters where they matter most. This role is ideal for an engineer eager to learn fast, take ownership early, and grow through building systems that operate under real-world pressure.

You are highly encouraged to share a portfolio that demonstrates your skills and experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop PCBs—from schematic capture and component selection to layout—spanning rigid, rigid-flex, and flex circuits that balance electrical performance with packaging constraints.

• Build and test prototypes and breadboard circuits to validate design concepts.

• Apply design-for-manufacturing principles to ensure prototypes can scale to production.

• Bring up and validate new hardware, debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and other standard test equipment.

• Develop and test circuits for sensing (e.g., magnetic, capacitive, pressure), actuation, and power management subsystems.

• Design, assemble, and troubleshoot wire harnesses and connectorized cabling to ensure reliable integration of boards, sensors, and actuators in ruggedized systems.

• Collaborate with mechanical and systems engineers to integrate electronics into complex electromechanical assemblies.

• Travel to conduct live demonstrations, stress-test prototypes in field conditions, and capture direct operator feedback, refining systems through iterative, hands-on engagement.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering (preferred) or related discipline (e.g., Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering), or demonstrated equivalent capability (formal degree not required).

• Portfolio of independent projects demonstrating applied hardware design and prototyping skills (required).

• Hands-on experience with PCB design software (KiCad preferred; Altium acceptable) + proficiency in mixed-signal circuit design.

• Proficiency with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, logic analyzers).

• Hands-on skills in soldering and wiring for prototypes and rework, and board bring-up.

• Experience with communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART).

• Understanding of EMI/EMC considerations in board and system-level design.

Nice to Have

• Experience with edge computing platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, NXP i.MX, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Rockchip) and embedded microcontrollers/SoCs for low-power or connected systems (e.g., Nordic nRF, STM32/STM32MP1).

• Experience deploying ML models on embedded systems or working with RTOS-based firmware, with strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python for firmware development and test automation.

• Background in low-power design / power optimization for embedded electronics.

• Familiarity with CAD tools (Fusion 360 preferred) and rapid prototyping methods (3D printing + machining) to support integration with the mechanical team.

• Exposure to ruggedized electronics or instrumentation designed for harsh environments.

As part of our process, every candidate completes a short assessment. It takes about 10 minutes and gives you a chance to show us what you are capable of. Access it here: Electrical Engineer Assessment