Principal Electrical Engineer

Safran DSI•Bedford, NH

About The Position

The Principal Electrical Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership and strategic direction for electrical engineering projects, with a focus on the design, development, and testing of advanced electrical and electronic modules and subsystems for defense and commercial applications. This role requires driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and guiding projects to meet performance, cost, and schedule objectives. By leveraging their expertise, the Principal Electrical Engineer ensures that all technical and strategic goals align with organizational and customer requirements. In this capacity, the Principal Electrical Engineer leads the design, optimization, and analysis of electrical system architectures to ensure functionality, reliability, and compliance with project specifications. They oversee project milestones, strategically managing efforts to meet cost and schedule targets while delivering solutions that meet or exceed expectations. Their work spans all phases of the product life cycle, from early feasibility studies and system design to

Requirements

BSEE or equivalent with greater than 15 years of electronic HW design and development experience
Exposure to analog and digital design with mixed signal interface and conversion circuit knowledge and the ability to specify components and/or sub-assemblies
Experience in designing and testing complex digital systems, including signal processing, memory interfaces, digital video processing and high-speed communication
Experience in FPGA electrical design and implementation
Experience with power conversion for high efficiency, high reliability, battery-powered systems
Experience with high efficiency laser driver topologies covering CW and pulsed lasers
Experience with PCB layout, packaging, and test of low-noise, mixed-mode circuitry
Strong design debug and troubleshooting skills with solid hands-on lab experience
Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential
U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain security clearance is required
Familiarity with working in an ITAR environment
Strong organization and presentation skills

Nice To Haves

Experience with high efficiency and high reliability power converters for battery-powered systems
Familiarity with Altium PCB design software
Familiarity with image sensor calibrations (thermal and/or visible)
Previous exposure to Electro-Optics
Experience with Qualcomm processors or other powerful, energy-efficient System-on-Chips (SoCs) that integrate CPUs, GPUs, and AI engines onto a single chip
Experience with FPGA firmware development
Experience in designing military products
Experience with military standards (i.e. MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461)

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and optimization of electronic systems, ensuring they meet functional performance, reliability, and compliance requirements.
Provide technical direction on complex electrical engineering challenges, driving innovative solutions while adhering to safety, regulatory, and industry standards.
Detail schematic design including power conditioning, signal integrity analysis and high-speed video data transfer. Electrical layout and component placement for size/space claims of high-density PCBs.
Define/direct/lead product specification conformance and validation testing, data collection, system integration, and debugging.
Lead the electrical system architecture development and product specification definition / verification.
Lead architectural design and electrical implementation of FPGA solutions from concept to deployment.
Design lead responsibility from product concept to production support.
Mentor and guide less experienced engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and proactive problem-solving within the team.
Serve as a technical representative and liaison of the electrical group, maintaining clear and effective communication with stakeholders, program managers, and external partners.
Interface with cross-functional teams, including software, mechanical, and systems engineering, to achieve seamless integration and comprehensive solutions.
Lead the development and execution of detailed test plans to validate the performance and reliability of electrical components and systems.
Conduct hands-on evaluations of prototypes, troubleshoot performance issues, and implement corrective actions to resolve design deficiencies.
Ensure rigorous documentation of test results, including analysis and recommendations, to inform design improvements and ensure compliance with project specifications.
Identify opportunities for technical innovation and design optimization in electronic systems and components.
Stay informed about emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to improve the organization's capabilities and competitiveness.
Promote continuous improvement initiatives by driving process efficiency and ensuring adherence to quality management systems.
Other tasks as assigned