Principal Electrical Engineer, Space Special Systems

ABOUT THE TEAM 

In the Space Special Programs team, we build spacecraft and space systems which serve a wide variety of functions in the space architecture. At a time when space superiority can no longer be taken for granted and with space systems proliferating at an incredible rate, the Space Special Programs team provides advanced, mission critical capabilities to our customer base to be able to more effectively operate and survive within this expanding environment with limited personnel. Working across product, engineering, sales, logistics, operations, and mission success, the Space Special Programs team develops, tests, deploys, and operates new, unique, space capabilities to drive mission success in challenging operational environments. 

ABOUT THE JOB 

We are looking for a Principal Electrical Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Chantilly, VA. In this role, you will be responsible for Full Cycle PCB design for spacecraft and associated systems including collecting requirements, schematic design, component selection, supervision or completion of layout, bring-up, test, debug and integration with the system. You are expected to be an individual contributor as well as the team lead.  Additionally, you will be responsible for helping develop the system electrical designs and, as the expert electrical engineer, for mentoring and growing your team. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

• Work with a cross-functional team to design market leading hardware products 
• Drive product maturity through rapid prototyping, design verification, and qualification activities 
• Apply modern space-flight hardware design standards and guidelines to create high-reliability, highly manufacturable assemblies, and a team which implements them. 
• Implement combinations of high-speed digital, precision analog, RF, and ultra-low power, and medium-power designs 
• Lead the team in establishing internal guidelines and best practices for space flight hardware design, test, and manufacture 
• Conduct peer-level and cross-discipline design reviews and mentor your team 
• Low level firmware development for bring-up and test 
• Root cause analysis in support of production operations 
• Work in a fast-paced environment, having to juggle multiple concurrent projects and customers 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance 
• 20+ years of professional experience in hardware product development, at least 10 designing space flight hardware 
• Full understanding of PCB Layout techniques to meet space flight mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing requirements 
• Ability to read and interpret schematics and apply best practices appropriate for each design 
• Familiarity with standard interfaces such as Ethernet, CAN, I2C, SPI, PCIe, MIPI CSI-2, etc 
• Familiarity with common MCU, CPU, FPGA devices and technologies 
• Knowledge of modern analog and digital electronics and electronic circuits 
• Ability to determine work priorities based on broad direction from management 
• Experience using Altium Designer or equivalent E-CAD tools 
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with others 
• Ability to work within our company and team culture  
• Demonstrated High ownership and autonomy across the entire cradle-to-grave lifecycle of a spacecraft or space system electrical subsystem. 
• Must be a U.S. Citizen and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret security clearance 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Understanding of MIL-STD-810 and relevant military environmental qualification standards 
• Understanding of MIL-STD-461 and relevant military electromagnetic compatibility standards 
• Experience designing, integrating, and flying Cubesat spacecraft meant to operate in LEO through GEO environments 
• Familiarity designing and working with cryptographic equipment and associated key material 
• 3+ years of experience working in a classified environment