Senior Electrical Engineer

Senior Electrical Engineer

Albacore Inc. is a Philadelphia-based company building highly-capable, mass-producible drone submarines to defend sovereign waters of America and allied nations. We are backed with more than $10 million from Y Combinator and venture capital investors.

We are seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer specializing in undersea robotics who will lead the design, prototyping, testing, and production of integrated hardware including power systems, embedded electronics, sensing, communications, and control interfaces. This role requires hands-on development from schematic through PCB layout, verification, system integration, and field validation in harsh marine environments, while collaborating closely with mechanical, software, and operations teams to deliver reliable, mission-critical robotic platforms. The engineer drives requirements definition, component selection, vendor engagement, and lifecycle management, and is responsible for troubleshooting, FMEA, and continuous design iteration based on real-world performance. Success in this role demands strong multidisciplinary expertise, ownership mindset, and the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, resource-constrained settings where individuals contribute broadly, lead technical direction, and directly impact product outcomes.

Work Environment & Expectations

• The position requires 90% on-site attendance with our robotics hardware team in Philadelphia PA but provides flexibility for occasional remote work.
• This position will be most rewarding for an applicant who desires a mix between office and lab/field work.
• The candidate is able to collaborate with the diverse engineering team to work towards a cohesive and group derived design.
• They are also willing to perform functions outside of normal duties, such as assisting with local sea testing and mobilization of equipment when required.

Core Electrical Design & Integration

• Serve as the primary designer of new electrical subsystems, including power generation, storage, sensors, motor control, compute, power electronics, and protection.
• Own schematic capture and circuit design across analog, digital, and mixed-signal subsystems, including component selection and power architecture.
• Perform PCB layout, including stackup, impedance, and routing constraints, and review layout against design intent.
• Board bring-up and circuit-level debug on the bench using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, electronic loads, and standard interface tooling.
• Apply DFT, DFM, and DFR to production builds, including resolving issues on assemblies returned from contract manufacturers.
• Integrate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and design custom electronics (PCBA, harnesses, connectors) for power electronics, sensor integration, and control interfaces.
• Design and integrate control interfaces for thrusters, rotating actuators, and other motion components.
• Integrate acoustic, sonar, and localization sensors to expand the AUV’s data-gathering capabilities.
• Evaluate and manage battery systems (charging, discharging, and protection circuits) while ensuring compliance with safety and industry standards.

Process, Documentation, and Vendor Management

• Develop and track functional system requirements.
• Author electronics verification plans that trace requirements to specific test methods and acceptance criteria. Validate against prototype and production hardware.
• Generate internal and external system design and fabrication drawings.
• Maintain documentation, revision control, and testing/simulation protocols for robust electrical systems management.
• Conduct Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) on existing and upcoming designs.
• Manage relationships with external contract manufacturers and suppliers for PCB fabrication, assembly, and harness production.
• Oversee quality checks, testing procedures, and project timelines to ensure successful production runs.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Collaborate seamlessly with other engineering disciplines and across the organization to ensure alignment, drive innovation, and approach designs holistically.
• Ability to self-manage and communicate project goals and status to senior leadership.
• Mentor junior electrical engineers and technicians, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
• Travel occasionally (10-20% anticipated) for vendor visits, field testing, or contract manufacturing oversight.

Requirements

• Required five (5+) years of hands-on experience in electrical subsystem design, ideally for robotics, aerospace, automotive, or other high-reliability platforms.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
• Demonstrated ownership of multi-domain (analog, digital, mixed-signal) designs you personally captured, from schematic through PCB layout and verification close-out, on production hardware.
• Proficiency in CAD/CAE tools (e.g., Altium) for PCB design.
• Working knowledge of embedded systems, sensor integration, and communication protocols relevant to underwater applications.
• Proven track record in product lifecycle management for electrical systems, FMEA, and risk management.
• Expertise in DFT, DFM, and DFR, applied to production builds.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cross-functional teams and mentor junior staff.
• U.S. Citizen

Preferred

• Familiarity with marine, subsea, or other harsh-environment design.
• Experience with autonomous/unmanned platforms.
• Familiarity with battery technologies, charging solutions, and safety standards for high-capacity energy storage.
• Experience in automotive electric vehicle design.
• Experience in PCB design, actuation, AC & DC power management, robotics, battery systems, and ruggedization of designs.
• Previous experience designing for SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost).

This job description covers only the essential functions of the position. Other duties may be assigned.