Electrical Engineer - Unmanned Systems & Ground Penetrating Radar

Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability.


Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

Job Description

We have an opening for an Electrical Engineer to support the design and development of unmanned ground and aerial systems and ground penetrating radar (GPR) technologies. This role focuses on system-level electrical engineering, including printed circuit board (PCB) design, subsystem integration, RF and digital electronics, and support of fielded systems. You will contribute to the development, integration, and testing of advanced sensing and autonomous platforms, with job scope that spans the full engineering lifecycle, including design, fabrication, integration, test, and deployment. The position requires close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, including mechanical, software, and systems engineers, to ensure robust and reliable system performance. This position is in the National Security Engineering Division (NSED) within the Engineering Directorate.

This position offers a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You will have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.


This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.


In this role you will:

• Design, develop, and test printed circuit boards (PCBs), including schematic capture and layout using industry-standard tools (e.g., Altium Designer).
• Architect and integrate electrical subsystems for large ground vehicle platforms, unmanned aerial systems, and GPR systems.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure effective integration of electrical, mechanical, and software components.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, including schematics, PCB layouts, fabrication and assembly drawings, and technical reports.
• Manage interactions with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors to support prototyping and production.
• Perform board bring-up, debugging, rework, and validation testing of electrical systems and components.
• Analyze test data, troubleshoot system issues, and iterate on designs to improve performance and reliability.
• Support system integration, field testing, and deployment activities at LLNL and external sites.
• Apply standard engineering and project management practices to plan and execute assigned work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities at the SES.2 level:

• Provide solutions to problems of moderate complexity related to GPR system design and integration.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to less-experienced engineers.
• Contribute to project planning, including development of schedules, tasking, and resource estimates for electrical engineering activities.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field, or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Experience in PCB design, including schematic capture and layout using tools such as Altium Designer.
• Experience with electrical system integration, including cabling design and subsystem interfacing.
• Experience with board bring-up, debugging, rework, and test using standard laboratory equipment (e.g., power supplies, multimeters, oscilloscopes).
• Fundamental knowledge of power electronics, high-speed digital design, or FPGA interfacing.
• Experience performing failure analysis and troubleshooting of electronic systems.
• Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Sufficient verbal and written communication skills necessary to collaborate with team members and present technical information.

Additional qualifications at the SES.2 level:

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to moderately complex electrical engineering projects with increasing independence.
• Broad experience managing or coordinating with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors for small volume prototyping and production.
• Comprehensive experience applying structured engineering or project management practices to plan and execute technical work.

Qualifications We Desire

• Master's degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• Experience with unmanned or autonomous systems, including drone electrical integration (e.g., power distribution, flight controllers, batteries, ESCs).
• Experience with RF systems or ground penetrating radar, including RF PCB design, signal integrity, or test methods (e.g., VNA, time-domain analysis).
• Experience with FPGA-based digital design or embedded systems (e.g., HDL development, custom data pipelines, embedded Linux).
• Active DOE or other U.S. government security clearance
• FAA Part 107 license.

Pay Range

$121,830 - $185,544 Annually

$121,830 - $154,500 Annually for the SES.1 level

$146,340 - $185,544 Annually for the SES.2 level

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Additional Information

#LI-Hybrid

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visit

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance. If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing. Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship.


Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession. This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.


If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas. Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

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We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

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