Electrical Engineer, Avionics Design | On-site Opportunity | Fastwater Staffing

Location: Costa Mesa, California, USAEmployment Type: Full-TimeWork Arrangement: On-siteStart Date: ImmediateCompensation:TBD -- based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security Clearance.
• Candidates should have a strong interest in supporting advanced defense and national security programs.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer, Avionics Design to support the design, development, integration, and testing of advanced avionics and embedded electronic systems. In this role, you will lead full-cycle PCB development, design power management systems, integrate embedded hardware, and collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver mission-critical aerospace solutions. The ideal candidate has a strong background in mixed-signal electronics, power systems, PCB design, and embedded hardware development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle PCB design, including requirements gathering, schematic capture, component selection, layout review, bring-up, testing, debugging, and system integration.
• Design and integrate microcontroller-based systems and support hardware bring-up activities.
• Troubleshoot complex hardware and software integration issues using laboratory equipment and software debugging tools.
• Design and integrate power management systems and power distribution architectures.
• Develop payloads and electronic subsystems, including sensors, networking, payload interfaces, and power management solutions.
• Create system interconnect diagrams and define cable harnesses for subsystem integration.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, software, firmware, and test engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Participate in peer design reviews and cross-functional engineering reviews to ensure high-quality system designs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or an equivalent engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting complex electrical systems.
• Experience performing power system analysis, electrical loading analysis, simulation, and validation.
• Strong experience with:
  • Power design and power management systems
  • Microcontroller design and hardware bring-up
  • Mixed-signal PCB design, including multilayer boards, impedance matching, grounding, filtering, and board protection
  • Low- and high-voltage power electronics and control systems
  • System interconnect diagrams and cable harness design
• Proficiency using laboratory equipment, including:
  • Oscilloscopes
  • Digital Multimeters (DMMs)
  • Spectrum Analyzers
  • Logic Analyzers
  • Benchtop Power Supplies
  • Electronic Loads
• Familiarity with thermal and EMI testing environments.
• Knowledge of common communication interfaces, including:
  • CAN
  • I2C
  • SPI
  • Ethernet
  • RS-232/422
  • RS-485
  • USB
• Excellent communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing embedded systems for aerospace, defense, or high-end consumer electronics.
• Experience with battery systems, AC power systems, and advanced power distribution architectures.
• Experience developing low-level firmware for hardware bring-up and testing.
• Background supporting defense, aerospace, or missile systems.
• Strong understanding of the effects of temperature, vibration, and harsh operating environments on electrical system design.