Staff Electrical Engineer (High Speed Digital)

Job Title

Staff Electrical Engineer (High Speed Digital)

Role Summary

Hands-on high-speed digital electrical engineer responsible for PCB design, signal integrity, FPGA development, and board bring-up across client programs in space, communications, power electronics, and embedded computing.

You will own technical deliverables, work directly with clients, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to program-level design and verification for technically demanding projects.

Experience Level

Senior / Staff level — posting requests 5+ years of applied experience; preferred candidates have 10+ years.

Responsibilities

Technical ownership from concept through verification, including design, simulation, and test.

• Architect and design high-speed digital systems; perform component selection and trade studies.
• Own signal integrity tasks: impedance control, differential routing, crosstalk analysis, and eye-diagram verification.
• Design and validate power delivery networks for high-performance ASICs, FPGAs, and multi-channel memory.
• Lead high-speed board bring-up and characterization: BERT, TDR, eye-mask compliance, EMC pre-compliance.
• Produce Altium designs and layout-ready packages with DRCs and manufacturing documentation.
• Incorporate environmental and space-qualification requirements (radiation tolerance, thermal cycling, vibration, vacuum outgassing) where applicable.
• Author design specifications, interface control documents, and test procedures; participate in PDR/CDR reviews.
• Work directly with clients to translate system requirements into hardware specifications and support technical reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to internal reusable design patterns and documentation.

Requirements

Minimum professional skills and constraints for the role.

Must-have:

• 5+ years of applied experience in high-speed digital hardware engineering.
• Experience with high-speed test and debug equipment: BERT, VNA, TDR, high-bandwidth oscilloscopes (20 GHz+), logic analyzers.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills; ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Systems-thinking approach and history of leading technical initiatives and mentoring engineers.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, client-driven consulting environment and be hands-on from strategy to execution.
• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours per week on-site in El Segundo, California.
• Eligibility to work on ITAR projects (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain required authorizations); no sponsorship available.

Nice-to-have / Preferred:

• Experience designing electronics for space-qualified or radiation-tolerant applications (derating, SEE analysis, thermal vacuum, vibration).
• Familiarity with 400G/800G Ethernet, PAM4 signaling, or co-packaged optics.
• Power-integrity analysis and multi-phase VRM design experience.
• Background in optical communications or interfaces between high-speed digital and RF/opto-electronic systems.
• EMI/EMC test experience to MIL-STD-461 or DO-160.
• Prior consulting or services-firm experience and exposure to business development or technical sales.
• History of patents, publications, or open-source contributions.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree required: Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical field.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary ranges depend on leveling: Senior Engineer $155,000–$200,000; Staff Engineer $195,000–$235,000; Principal Engineer $235,000–$270,000 (USD, yearly).

• Equity via ISOs and PIUs in affiliated companies.
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision for employees; 50% dependent coverage.
• Flexible PTO, 11 paid holidays, 12 sick days, up to 22 weeks parental leave.
• 401(k) with employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%), relocation assistance (50+ miles), EV charging, daily catered lunches.

Company

Second Order Effects is an engineering solutions firm that designs custom electronics and systems for clients across space, energy, and advanced vehicles. The company emphasizes first-principles problem solving and technical mentorship.

More about the company: About. Examples of projects: Work.

Equal Opportunity

Second Order Effects is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics.

Regulatory

To comply with U.S. export regulations (ITAR), applicants must meet U.S. eligibility for defense-related work; sponsorship is not available.

For federal contractor reporting guidance referenced in the application process: U.S. Department of Labor — OFCCP.

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.