Hardware Engineer

Job Responsibilities

• Improve released designs for functionality, ease of use, and production yield: schematic, BOM, and layout upkeep; engineering change orders; and board respins in Altium Designer.
• Debug and repair control system boards in the lab and in running systems, working from schematics, layout, and bench measurements down to the failing component or circuit.
• Help to manage component obsolescence and shortages by finding, qualifying, and documenting substitute parts.
• Run root-cause investigations on failures and make fixes that prevent repeats.
• Work with our fabrication and assembly houses, alongside our technicians and test engineers, on build, test, and yield issues.
• Contribute to new board designs and design reviews, using what you learn from existing instruments to make the next design better.

Experience & Education

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of relevant postgraduate professional experience in board-level analog and digital circuit design, preferably with Altium Designer.

Required Qualifications

• Self-motivated, collaborative, and driven to work effectively in a fast-growing startup environment.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with a diverse team of experimental physicists, hardware, and software engineers.
• Working proficiency in Altium Designer, including schematic capture and ECO-driven changes.
• Demonstrated hands-on use of oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, logic analyzers, signal generators, and other bench equipment to debug prototype and production electronics.
• Experience with mixed-signal boards and with complex ICs (FPGAs, processors) that require several power supplies and high-speed interfaces.
• A structured approach to root cause analysis and the follow-through to close issues.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with RF design concepts and/or software defined radio
• Experience with best practices for Design for Test and Design for Manufacturability and test fixture design
• Capable in scripting languages (e.g., Python) for basic data acquisition, instrument control, and automating hardware test and characterization.
• Experience working in a Linux environment
• Familiarity with the MicroTCA, PXIe, or similar pluggable instrument standards