Senior/Staff Electrical Engineer, Test

Atomic Machines•Emeryville, CA

2d•$200,000 - $245,000•Onsite

About The Position

Atomic Machines is seeking a Senior/Staff Test Development Engineer to define and own the validation process for entirely new classes of devices manufactured using their novel Matter Compiler™ technology platform. This role involves developing test strategies from first principles for devices with evolving requirements and unconventional validation approaches. The engineer will build first-principles models, identify error sources, and balance accuracy, throughput, cost, and scalability. Responsibilities include leading test strategy definition, working on complex multidisciplinary problems, defining novel tests from specifications to design, building custom hardware, integrating systems, and contributing to data collection, validation, and interpretation for engineering and manufacturing decisions. Collaboration with Device Design, Go-To-Market, and Production teams is essential. The ideal candidate possesses a strong electrical engineering background, first-principles thinking, creativity, and a generalist mindset, with the ability to learn quickly across disciplines. Expertise in areas like instrumentation, embedded systems, analog electronics, automation, or test development is valued.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in circuit design, instrumentation development, or test engineering
Demonstrated experience in full board development from initial circuit concepts through PCB layout, including defining specifications, validating functionality at the schematic level, and executing PCB layout
Deep understanding of analog and mixed-signal circuit design
Experience implementing analog system control using microcontrollers
Ability to develop microcontroller code in C
Strong documentation skills for clear hardware handoff to system-integration teams
Proficiency with standard electronic test equipment
Experience developing instrumentation, including constructing and managing error budgets
Solid hands-on lab skills, including soldering, hardware build/test, and iterative refinement
A first-principles mindset — you question assumptions, reframe problems from the ground up, and approach challenges with a foundational understanding rather than relying solely on precedent
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics
Experience developing test plans from ambiguous requirements, including defining specifications, measurement approaches, error sources, and success criteria
Demonstrated ability to reason about and make engineering tradeoffs (e.g., accuracy vs speed, noise vs architecture, modularity vs robustness)

Nice To Haves

A PhD in a hard science or engineering discipline is strongly preferred
High current (500A+) or high voltage (1kV+) systems experience
Experience developing with the STM32 microcontroller platform
Experience with reliability or environmental test systems

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end test development: define requirements, architect solutions, build systems, and deploy them into production
Design test strategies from first principles for devices without existing validation frameworks
Develop error budgets and measurement approaches for precision sensing and device characterization
Make system-level tradeoffs between accuracy, throughput, cost, and scalability
Architect and build custom instrumentation, including PCB design, firmware, and mechanical fixtures
Document test systems, interfaces, and operating procedures to enable reliable handoff to production, reproducibility of results, and long-term maintainability
Integrate test systems into automated production environments, ensuring robustness and scalability
Partner with Device, Manufacturing, and Product teams to translate ambiguous requirements into measurable specifications and challenge assumptions
Drive improvements in test reliability, data quality, and production throughput