PCB Design Engineer

Job Summary

General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world's leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.


We have an exciting opportunity for an Electrical Engineer (EE) to join our Electrical Technologies team located in Rancho Bernardo. We are looking for someone with drive, talent, and experience in complex, high-speed digital circuit board design and layout using Altium Designer software design suites for Electrical Computer-Aided Design (ECAD). This role supports projects at all lifecycle stages, encompassing Research and Development (R&D), proven designs that are being productized and released, and fielded products. The successful candidate will report to the PCBA Design Team Manager and, alongside high-caliber staff, will be engaged in the engineering support and new development of high-power electromagnetic systems, high-energy laser systems, advanced airborne sensors, laser and electro-optical sensors and payloads for space vehicles, space-based optical communications, command and data handling electronics, cutting-edge technology ventures into Defense and "NewSpace," and a variety of disruptive technologies in the expanding product portfolio of GA-EMS.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with GA-EMS Engineering staff in the design and development of very complex and detailed layouts of printed circuit boards for high-speed digital, high-fidelity analog, and specialized power applications for all GA-EMS business areas and product lines. These encompass high-power motor drives, power conditioning systems, pulsed power systems, battery systems, high energy laser systems, advanced sensors, and satellite space systems.
• Create and manage standardized part libraries, develop PC board designs utilizing Electrical Computer-Aided Design (ECAD) Altium Designer, make engineering computations, write specifications, and generate circuit board manufacturing data and drawings.
• Demonstrate prior experience in the improvement of legacy systems and development of new systems, specifically in applications where fast and agile but very complex PC board design/layout work and subject matter expertise is required in order to meet challenging technical performance and schedule objectives.
• Responsible for guiding the successful resolution of engineering problems associated with PC board design and manufacturing; guiding technical administration and use of ECAD software tools, libraries, processes, and development strategies; serving as a consulting resource for engineering knowledge; applying the latest technological advancements to problems; and sometimes functioning in a project leadership role.
• Contribute to complex, electrical/optical/mechanical engineering efforts with hardware and personnel safety in mind while exercising business strategy, political savvy, and technical acumen.
• Grasp, understand, correlate, and apply concepts in electrical engineering to pieces in a complex system, specifically PC boards.
• With limited direction, plan and execute technical efforts quickly and strategically. Assignments will normally be outlined in terms of broad specifications, objectives, possible results anticipated, and critical reference points requiring special attention.
• May represent the organization as the prime technical contact on projects.
• Provide innovative and creative technical solutions to working plans, detailed designs, and completed electrical drawings of printed circuit (PC) board components and assemblies for a wide variety of highly complex products and components of products.
• Work from preliminary schematics, notes, part lists, rough or detailed sketches, basic descriptions of board functions, and configurations and arrangements defined by engineering.
• Establish design standards and configurations.
• Verify completed design elements while checking dimensions, materials to be used and quantities.
• Provide direction to less experienced PC board designers and support staff.
• Provide Subject-Matter-Expert (SME) recommendations to engineering staff during PC board design and peer review.
• Validate conformity to design standards and specifications and identify design errors and other deficiencies and recommend changes.
• Provide documentation including schematics and PC board layouts, identify design issues, and prepare and present technical design presentations to engineering staff and customers as required.
• Archive engineering data files per company configuration control procedures and interacts with PCB vendors to coordinate the manufacturing of PC boards and electronic assemblies.
• Remain current in ECAD techniques, IPC Standards, as well as appropriate specialty design software and associated applications.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; nine (9) or more years of experience with a bachelor's degree, seven (7) or more years of experience with a master's degree, or four (4) or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance is required.
• Demonstrate technical expertise and application of engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice with the ability to organize, plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate workloads to meet established deadlines or milestones with some experience in project leadership.
• Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately throughout an evolving project environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills are required to enable an effective interface with other departments and/or professionals.
• Must be able to work both independently on a self-initiated basis and in a team environment.
• Customer-focused and able to formulate plans based on the development of innovative new designs in resolving advanced technical engineering problems.
• Capable of representing the organization as a prime technical contact, as well as providing leadership and guidance to less experienced colleagues.
• Must be able to determine the appropriate approach at the task level and project level to provide innovative solutions to a wide range of highly complex problems in the PC board design arena.
• Must have extensive and detailed understanding of PC board design concepts, drawing principles, manufacturing methods, and PC board design trade-space for a wide range of PC board applications.
• Must demonstrate a very high skill level using Altium Designer
• Required Experience: Knowledge of PC board design for digital, analog, and power applications; proven ability to plan and implement, at the design stage, electrical, mechanical, and cabling-interconnect features in the PC board design for optimal circuit performance; high-speed digital circuit board layout, including DDR memory and GHz-range circuit speed; mixed-signal digital/analog circuit board layout, including split or isolated reference/power planes; high-power or high-voltage circuit board layout, including high-voltage isolation and techniques for supporting pulse-power or high power dissipation; complex, multi-layer PC board design; thermal-clad PC board design (desired).
• Some travel and extended work schedules may be required.
• The submission of a cover letter with resume is desired.