Internal Harness and Interconnect Engineer

Panthalassa • Portland, OR

18h • $125,000 - $175,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Internal Harness and Interconnect Engineer will work on the Core Systems Integration & Test team and own the dry-side wiring, cabling, and interconnect systems for the company’s ocean-energy node technology. The role covers architecture, physical hardening, and end-to-end delivery, from initial concepts through fabrication and deployment at sea. It bridges Electrical Engineering and Core Systems & Software, includes managing external manufacturing partners, and serves as a technical authority on the shop floor for integration troubleshooting. The work supports reliable, signal-integrity-critical computing and power systems in continuous, uncrewed maritime environments.

The engineer will develop repeatable harness assembly workflows, incorporate Design for Excellence principles, manage interconnect procurement and vendor pipelines, and lead quality verification and troubleshooting. The position is on-site in Portland, Oregon, with travel to vendors and test sites as needed. The company describes its work environment as creative, scrappy, collaborative, and autonomy-supportive, with flexible working hours and flexible paid time off.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to design, package, and document complex wiring harnesses and interconnect assemblies for high-reliability systems or harsh environments.
• Deep technical knowledge of connector families such as Phoenix, Amphenol, Deutsch, and Molex; specialized wire insulation and jacketing materials; and cable shielding techniques.
• Track record diagnosing and resolving noise, grounding, and signal-integrity issues in mixed data and power cabling architectures.
• Proficiency with wire harness design software such as Zuken E3.series, RapidHarness, or equivalent tools.
• Hands-on expertise with harness fabrication, crimp validation, rework tools, and diagnostic instrumentation, including DMMs, oscilloscopes, TDRs, and insulation testers or meggers.
• Ability to travel to vendors and test sites as needed.
• Ability to work longer hours and weekends intermittently to support critical needs.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or an equivalent field.
• Familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 or comparable high-reliability aerospace or military manufacturing standards.
• Experience designing interconnects for sealed enclosures, pressure vessels, or chassis exposed to rigorous shock, vibration, and thermal cycling.
• Experience with high-speed data transmission such as Ethernet, RF, or high-speed differential pairs; fiber-optic terminations; or high-voltage DC distribution.
• Familiarity with automated wire-processing equipment and automated harness test systems such as Cirris or CableEye.
• Track record establishing vendor second-sourcing and qualification pipelines for custom cable assemblies and specialized interconnect hardware.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the full interconnection lifecycle for dry-side node electronics, including connector selection, harness routing, wire termination, backshell integration, potting, strain relief, and mechanical retention.
• Develop and standardize harness assembly workflows for crimping, soldering, potting, connectorization, continuity testing, and hipot testing to support repeatable, high-yield builds from prototype to production.
• Apply Design for Manufacturing principles by simplifying connector counts, standardizing keying and polarization, and optimizing routing to prevent mis-mates and reduce assembly time.
• Apply Design for Test principles by integrating automated continuity test points and derating strategies for continuous thermal-mechanical stress and high-vibration ocean environments.
• Architect signal and power pathways to mitigate electromagnetic interference, crosstalk, and ground loops between high-speed data channels and power lines.
• Manage the interconnect bill of materials and vendor pipeline, including procurement, tolerance analysis, second-sourcing, and obsolescence mitigation.
• Drive quality verification, lead first article inspections, and debug electrical interconnect anomalies during system integration.
• Travel to vendors and test sites as needed.

Benefits

• Equity in the company.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Health insurance; the company pays 100% of the gold-level PPO plan for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents.
• Dental insurance; the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents.
• Vision insurance; the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents.
• Disability insurance; the company pays 100% for a policy providing long-term financial support in the event of disability.
• Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including a 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA.
• Relocation assistance to facilitate a move to Portland, if needed.
• Flexible working hours and a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed