Senior Electrical Engineer - Embedded Systems & PCB Design

Job Description

Job Description

Design the Electronics Behind Mission-Critical U.S. Navy Systems

We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to join our engineering team and help design automation, control, and monitoring systems used in U.S. Navy applications.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who enjoys taking electronic designs from concept through production. You will develop embedded microprocessor-based electronics and associated circuits, create printed circuit boards, troubleshoot prototypes, support product qualification testing, and work closely with software and mechanical engineers.

Our systems must operate reliably under challenging environmental and electromagnetic conditions, making this an excellent opportunity for an engineer interested in rugged electronics, embedded systems, and high-reliability product design.

What You'll Do

Electrical & PCB Design

• Develop embedded microprocessor- and microcontroller-based systems running real-time operating systems.
• Perform trade studies to select electronic components appropriate for operation across wide temperature ranges and demanding environmental conditions.
• Design analog and digital interfaces for sensors, actuators, communication devices, and other industrial control components.
• Develop power supply, signal-conditioning, and processor/interface circuitry.
• Perform circuit analysis and simulation to verify design performance.
• Create schematics and work with a draftsman to generate printed circuit board layouts for new and existing products.
• Support PCB design reviews, manufacturing reviews, prototype builds, and production releases.
• Apply sound design-for-manufacturability and design-for-test principles throughout product development.

Military & Environmental Qualification

• Design electronic products intended to operate in demanding military and marine environments.
• Apply engineering principles necessary to develop products capable of meeting applicable military requirements and qualification testing.
• Support design and qualification activities associated with standards such as:
• MIL-STD-461G – Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility
• MIL-STD-901E – High-Impact Shock
• MIL-STD-167-1A – Mechanical Vibration
• MIL-STD-1399 – Shipboard Interface Requirements
• Troubleshoot issues identified during environmental, EMI/EMC, vibration, shock, and system qualification testing.

Prototype Development, Testing & Troubleshooting

• Modify, debug, and evaluate prototype electronic assemblies.
• Perform hands-on testing using oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, signal generators, power supplies, logic analyzers, and related laboratory equipment.
• Perform component-level troubleshooting and rework, including soldering and PCB modification.
• Develop test procedures and automated test and validation systems.
• Analyze test results and drive design improvements based on measured performance.
• Support troubleshooting of engineering prototypes, production hardware, and fielded equipment.

Product Development & Documentation

• Participate throughout the complete product development lifecycle, from initial concept through production and product support.
• Develop clear electrical design documentation, specifications, test procedures, engineering drawings, and technical reports.
• Maintain accurate design records supporting product configuration and manufacturing.
• Work closely with software, mechanical, manufacturing, and systems engineers to resolve multidisciplinary engineering challenges.
• Support production personnel and suppliers as products transition from engineering into manufacturing.

Technologies You'll Work With

You will have the opportunity to work with technologies including:

• Real-time operating systems
• Altium Designer PCB design and schematic development
• LTspice Simulation
• Automated testing and validation systems

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Three or more years of experience designing and developing embedded electronic products.
• Strong understanding of embedded system architecture, microprocessors, and microcontrollers.
• Strong analog and digital circuit design skills.
• Experience designing printed circuit boards and developing electrical schematics.
• Experience interfacing microprocessors with analog and digital devices commonly used in automation and control systems.
• Hands-on experience troubleshooting electronic hardware using oscilloscopes, meters, signal generators, and related test equipment.
• Ability to troubleshoot and modify prototype PCB assemblies, including soldering and component-level rework.
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team including electrical, software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to the nature of the work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five or more years of professional electrical engineering experience involving PCB design and embedded electronic systems.
• Experience with Altium Designer for schematic capture and PCB development.
• Experience with LTspice or similar circuit simulation tools.
• Experience with PCB design, component selection, and design for manufacturability.
• Experience designing electronics for wide-temperature-range or harsh-environment applications.
• Understanding of PCB manufacturing processes, assembly methods, and design-for-manufacturability principles.
• Experience developing equipment for U.S. Navy or other Department of Defense applications including meeting military standards such as MIL-STD-461G, MIL-STD-901E, MIL-STD-167-1A, and MIL-STD-1399.
• Experience with EMI/EMC design techniques, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with Ethernet, fiber-optic communications, RS-485, and RS-232 networks.
• Experience calculating reliability, failure modes, MTBF, and component derating for products with minimum of 10+ years expected service life.
• Experience developing automated product testing and validation systems.

What Makes You Successful

You are a hands-on electrical engineer who enjoys solving challenging technical problems and seeing your designs become real products.

You are comfortable moving between schematic design, circuit simulation, PCB development, laboratory testing, troubleshooting, documentation, and collaboration with other engineering disciplines. You understand that successful engineering involves more than making a circuit work—it requires designing products that can be manufactured, tested, qualified, maintained, and relied upon in demanding real-world environments.

You are detail-oriented, curious, practical, and willing to get into the laboratory to understand why something works—or why it doesn't.

Why Join Us?

This position offers the opportunity to work on technically challenging products with meaningful real-world applications. You will contribute directly to the design of mission-critical automation and control equipment used in U.S. Navy applications while working with a multidisciplinary engineering team.

You'll have the opportunity to take significant ownership of your designs, work across the full product development lifecycle, and develop expertise in embedded electronics, ruggedized product design, military qualification requirements, and advanced control systems.

If you're passionate about embedded electronics, PCB design, hands-on engineering, and developing reliable products for demanding applications, we'd like to hear from you.

Fairmount Automation delivers innovative control solutions to military, transportation and industrial automation markets. Its products are installed throughout the world, controlling a wide variety of mission-critical and safety-critical processes and machinery.

Company Description

Fairmount Automation delivers innovative control solutions to military, transportation and industrial automation markets. Its products are installed throughout the world, controlling a wide variety of mission-critical and safety-critical processes and machinery.