Electrical Hardware Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

About the Position

OKSI is seeking an Electrical Hardware Engineer III to develop electronics, cable assemblies, and integrated hardware for electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems.

This is a hands-on design role spanning circuit development, printed circuit board design, interconnects, custom packaging, rapid prototyping, and laboratory testing. You will take assigned hardware from initial requirements through working prototypes and production release, collaborating with mechanical, optical, software, manufacturing, and quality personnel.

We are looking for an engineer who enjoys designing hardware, building and testing it, diagnosing problems at the bench, and turning lessons from early prototypes into reliable products.

What You’ll Do

• Design analog, digital, mixed-signal, power, and sensor-interface circuitry for EO/IR imaging and embedded processing hardware.
• Create schematics, select components, develop bills of materials, and perform or directly guide PCB layout.
• Design cable and harness assemblies, including connector selection, interface documentation, assembly drawings, and inspection requirements.
• Work with mechanical engineers to integrate electronics and interconnects into custom enclosures and constrained form factors, accounting for assembly access, thermal needs, serviceability, and environmental requirements.
• Develop prototype boards, interface adapters, cable assemblies, and test fixtures to evaluate concepts and support early integration.
• Perform board bring-up and troubleshoot circuit, power, communication, and system-integration issues using laboratory equipment.
• Support hardware ruggedization and environmental testing, including investigation and correction of problems identified during thermal, vibration, shock, and electromagnetic compatibility evaluations.
• Write and execute test procedures that demonstrate compliance with assigned hardware requirements.
• Release complete design packages, including fabrication and assembly documentation, cable drawings, test records, and engineering changes.
• Work with PCB manufacturers, assembly houses, and cable suppliers to resolve build questions and improve manufacturability and testability.
• Support production builds, component substitutions, failure investigations, and ongoing product improvements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Five or more years of relevant electronics hardware design experience.
• Demonstrated ownership of custom PCB designs from schematic development through bring-up and verification.
• Proficiency with an electronic design automation tool such as Altium Designer, Cadence, or an equivalent platform.
• Experience designing cable assemblies, connectors, and electrical interfaces.
• Strong circuit fundamentals and practical troubleshooting skills using oscilloscopes, multimeters, bench supplies, and related equipment.
• Experience integrating electronics into a mechanical assembly or packaged product.
• Ability to document designs clearly and manage assigned development tasks independently.
• Ability to work full-time on-site in Torrance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with EO/IR systems, digital cameras, imaging electronics, embedded processors, or precision instrumentation.
• Experience developing rugged electronics for aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial, or other demanding environments.
• Familiarity with signal integrity, power integrity, EMI/EMC, and environmental qualification.
• Experience with compact multilayer boards, flex or rigid-flex assemblies, or dense interconnect packaging.
• Familiarity with design for manufacturing, assembly, and test.
• Basic firmware or scripting capability for hardware bring-up and automated testing.
• Experience moving rapidly from prototype builds to controlled production documentation.

Why Work at OKSI?

At OKSI, you will see your work progress from a schematic to a functioning system. You will work directly with the people designing, building, and testing the hardware, with opportunities to broaden your skills across electronics, packaging, and system integration.

Your practical ideas and attention to detail will help deliver reliable sensing technology for aerospace and defense applications.