Component Engineer

Job Title: Principal Electrical Component Engineer (EEE Parts)

Job Description

This role focuses on leading the engineering activities related to Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) parts for complex aerospace and defense systems. The Principal Electrical Component Engineer develops and oversees EEE part procurement and screening strategies, ensures compliance with military and space industry standards, and drives failure analysis and corrective actions to support reliable launch vehicle and mission-critical designs.

Responsibilities

• Generate comprehensive plans and procedures for EEE part procurement and screening that comply with internal standards and contractual requirements.
• Support supply source selection by evaluating potential suppliers and assisting with procurement activities for EEE components.
• Evaluate and adapt customer screening and qualification requirements to align with program needs and company standards.
• Review Statements of Work (SOWs) and contractual documents to identify EEE parts requirements and define viable alternative solutions.
• Support proposals by contributing to EEE part selection strategies, cost estimates, and schedule inputs for new and ongoing programs.
• Flow EEE parts requirements to suppliers and coordinate with customer program management and printed circuit board teams to obtain approval for part selections in launch vehicle designs.
• Review Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) Advisories and Alerts to assess their impact on programs and recommend appropriate actions.
• Support customer and vendor screening issues and failures by coordinating and participating in failure investigations.
• Interface directly with failure analysis laboratories to review part test data, lot sample Destructive Physical Analyses (DPA), and prohibited materials analyses.
• Utilize part failure analysis results to collaborate with project teams in determining root cause and corrective actions (RCCA) for board-level and box-level test failures.
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise technical reports and presentations to engineering teams, leadership, and customers, summarizing findings, risks, and recommendations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with design, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure robust EEE parts management and component selection throughout the product lifecycle.

Essential Skills

• Deep domain knowledge of EEE parts, including hermetic and plastic-encapsulated microcircuits and semiconductors.
• Strong understanding of governing military and space industry standards related to EEE components.
• Hands-on experience with failure analysis of EEE parts, including interpretation of test data and DPA results.
• Proven ability to perform parts management and component selection for complex aerospace or defense systems.
• Experience working with missile defense or similar high-reliability applications.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively with engineering, quality, and supply chain teams.
• Ability to produce clear, concise, and technically accurate reports and documentation for internal stakeholders and customers.
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering with 5+ years of applicable industry experience, or M.S. in Electrical Engineering with 3+ years of applicable industry experience.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Familiarity with MIL-STD-1580 (Destructive Physical Analysis).
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-883 and MIL-STD-750 test methods.
• Experience working with MIL-PRF series specifications for microcircuits and semiconductor devices.
• Direct, hands-on experience in an EEE Part Failure Analysis Laboratory.
• Background in missile defense agency programs or similar high-reliability defense environments.
• Demonstrated ability to review and interpret GIDEP Advisories and Alerts and assess program impact.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for customer-facing technical discussions and documentation.

Work Environment

The role operates in a highly technical, engineering-focused environment supporting aerospace and defense programs that demand exceptional reliability and adherence to military and space industry standards. Work involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and specialized failure analysis laboratories, with frequent review of detailed test data and formal specifications. The position is typically office-based with access to laboratory facilities for component evaluation and analysis, and requires careful documentation, structured processes, and adherence to formal engineering and quality procedures.

This is a Contract position based out of Goleta, CA.

The pay range for this position is $60.00 - $100.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully remote position.

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.