Electrical Engineer

Job Title

Electrical Engineer

Role Summary

Design and deliver high-performance electrical systems across a range of mission-critical projects (space, energy, advanced vehicles, and related industries). Work on architecture, schematic and PCB design, firmware or HDL, and validation as part of a collaborative engineering team supporting client-focused solutions.

Experience Level

Mid-level — typically 3+ years of applied experience in electrical or embedded systems design.

Responsibilities

Contribute to hardware and firmware development across the project lifecycle and support client-facing technical reviews.

• Drive electronic system architecture and implementation, including circuitry and firmware/HDL.
• Select components, perform trade studies, and ensure designs meet requirements.
• Create schematics and PCB layouts; develop component symbols and footprints.
• Perform circuit simulation and thermal analysis; size thermal management systems.
• Develop firmware in C/C++ or digital designs in Verilog for FPGAs.
• Write and execute test plans for device validation and performance characterization.
• Take ownership of design, development, testing, and end-to-end technical support for projects.
• Assess design risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Produce hardware, firmware/HDL, and systems documentation; participate in design and code reviews.
• Interface with internal teams and external clients during technical reviews and vendor interactions.

Requirements

Must-have skills, authorization, and experience required for the role.

• Ability to work 40 hours per week onsite in El Segundo, CA or Redmond, WA.
• Eligible to work on ITAR projects (U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or equivalent authorization).
• Minimum 3 years of applied engineering experience in electronics or embedded systems.
• Strong technical communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with common ECAD tools (Altium, KiCad, Cadence, PADS, EAGLE, etc.).
• Experience developing firmware in C/C++ or digital designs in Verilog HDL for FPGAs.
• Experience in modeling, simulation, and testing of electronic designs.
• Familiarity with serial/UART, SPI, and I2C communication methods.
• Expertise in one or more areas: analog circuits, mixed-signal design, embedded programming, RF, power electronics, or optical systems.

Nice-to-have:

• Team-based design project experience (Formula SAE, CubeSat, etc.).
• End-to-end electronics design from requirements through fabrication and bringup.
• Experience with PCB fabrication, DFM/DFA, IPC or JEDEC standards, and vendor interactions.
• High-density or high-layer-count PCB design for aerospace, automotive, medical, or other high-reliability applications.
• Familiarity with Python or MATLAB for data analysis, LTSpice for simulation, and CI/CD for firmware/HDL.
• Experience with ARM Cortex-M devices and Lattice/Xilinx FPGAs; strong OS and computer architecture fundamentals.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

About the Company

Company: Second Order Effects

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

Second Order Effects (SOE) is an engineering consultancy focused on transforming uncertainty into functional hardware and software. Founded in 2016, the company has over 90 employees and works on projects across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics. SOE excels in problem-solving for complex engineering challenges and emphasizes innovation and collaboration within its cross-disciplinary team.