Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

4d•$102,000 - $164,328

About The Position

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), a research unit of the University of Washington, is seeking an Electrical Hardware Design Engineer to join its Ocean Engineering Department. Reporting to the Ocean Engineering Department Head, this role supports Principal Investigators by creating specialized electrical systems for observing the natural and physical world. The engineer designs, builds, tests, documents, and deploys electrical solutions for oceanographic, ocean acoustic, marine renewable energy, autonomous vehicle, and marine robotic systems and instruments. This lead electrical hardware engineer is responsible for the full lifecycle development of sophisticated research instrumentation and electrical systems, from concept development and requirements definition through design, integration, testing, deployment, and long-term operational support. Working under broad objectives, the engineer independently plans and executes complex assignments across moderate-to-large projects with unique technical requirements and demanding environments. The position manages multiple concurrent projects, evaluates alternatives and technical risks, develops solutions where standard approaches may not be available, and collaborates with Principal Investigators, department leadership, and multidisciplinary engineering teams. The role includes designing and testing electrical hardware (90% FTE) and deploying, operating, and maintaining systems (10% FTE). It may involve specialized electronic subsystems, custom circuit boards, and sophisticated autonomous and distributed marine systems. The position requires the physical ability to work at sea aboard small to large vessels for extended periods and willingness to perform required duties aboard ships. This is a regular, 100%-FTE position on first shift. The listed annual pay range is $102,000 to $164,328. The position is part of the UAW Research bargaining unit.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or a related field and four years of relevant experience; equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for the minimum qualifications.
Ability to independently develop and implement electronic system architectures from requirements definition through design, prototyping, testing, field deployment, and lifecycle support.
Proficiency in electronic schematic capture, PCB design, and layout using industry-standard ECAD tools such as Altium Designer, KiCad, or equivalent.
Experience managing PCB fabrication, assembly, vendor relationships, and manufacturing workflows, including design-for-manufacturing and design-for-test considerations.
Ability to perform hardware bring-up, hand soldering, debugging, troubleshooting, and integration of complex electronic systems and custom PCBs.
Experience designing, documenting, fabricating, and validating custom electrical harnesses, cable assemblies, and interconnect solutions for demanding environments.
Ability to diagnose, document, and resolve electronic hardware failures through systematic root-cause analysis and corrective action development.
Ability to plan, coordinate, and execute system-level integration and verification involving electrical, mechanical, and software subsystems.
Experience leading or facilitating technical design reviews, providing peer review, evaluating engineering trade-offs, and contributing to multidisciplinary engineering decisions.
Ability to exercise independent judgment, assess technical alternatives and project risks, and develop solutions to complex engineering challenges where established methods may be inadequate.
Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with minimal supervision while balancing technical performance, schedules, operational constraints, and budgets.
Ability to collaborate with Principal Investigators, project managers, software and mechanical engineers, technicians, and external partners as a technical resource and subject matter expert.
Experience developing engineering solutions for remote, harsh, or high-reliability environments, including designing for reliability, maintainability, and risk mitigation.
Ability to work independently and as part of a research team and cooperate with people from diverse backgrounds, academic levels, and nationalities.
Must meet the physical requirements for working at sea aboard small to large vessels for extended periods and be willing to perform required duties aboard ships.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing electrical systems for ocean engineering, acoustic systems, marine renewable energy, ocean physics, and/or marine robotics.
Experience with mixed-signal or analog electronic design.
Experience with power electronics, high-speed digital design, or RF design.
Experience with digital protocols such as RS-232, RS-485, SPI, CAN, or Ethernet.
Experience working with autonomous or high-reliability systems.
Experience with C, C++, and Python programming for electrical bring-up and testing.
Ability to acquire and maintain a Department of Defense security clearance.

Responsibilities

Independently lead and execute electrical hardware engineering from concept development and requirements definition through design, integration, testing, deployment, and lifecycle support.
Apply research techniques, networks, and resources to move novel and complex research projects from inception to execution.
Gather electrical system requirements from Principal Investigators and propose system architectures.
Establish design approaches that balance performance, reliability, schedule, and cost.
Design circuit schematics and PCB layouts using Altium software.
Design systems for scientific sensor data acquisition, low-power system management, hardware/software interfaces, and reliability.
Specify and procure electrical components.
Coordinate with APL technicians and external vendors on fabrication, assembly, and bench testing of electrical components.
Hand-solder, debug, and integrate PCBs and electrical systems.
Design, document, and build custom electrical harnesses.
Diagnose, document, and resolve electronic hardware problems.
Present technical approaches, design reviews, and project status to team members, Principal Investigators, and Department Heads.
Follow APL Ocean Engineering documentation standards.
Plan and support at-sea installation, operation, and maintenance of systems.
Troubleshoot real-time problems at sea under time and resource constraints and propose solutions.
Coordinate and execute system-level integration and verification involving electrical, mechanical, and software subsystems.
Manage multiple concurrent projects and priorities, and contribute to technical decision-making and design reviews.