Sr. Electrical Engineer

TEKsystems•Austin, TX

4d•$140,000 - $170,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are hiring for a defense technology company headquartered in Austin, TX, building autonomous surface vessels for the U.S. Navy and allied forces. These Senior/Staff/Principal Electrical Engineer roles sit within the team responsible for electrical system integration across their vessel platforms. This is a systems integration function first; the team's job is architecture, system sizing, and making controls, sensors, and communications work together as a cohesive platform. It is explicitly not a custom power electronics team, it does very little custom PCB development, and RF sits entirely outside this team's scope. Representative subsystems this team owns include PLC controls and sensor integration (including fluid sensors), engine controls, and higher-level compute integration such as perception cameras and sensor payloads. There are no strong vertical silos on this team. A single engineer is expected to move across the full lifecycle of their subsystem: clean-sheet design, writing test plans and First Article Test (FAT) procedures, and working directly with manufacturing to debug issues based on floor feedback. Field testing of the actual vessel is the dominant and most valued form of validation. Because most components are purchased off the shelf rather than custom-built, qualification testing is largely a vendor selection question rather than something engineers execute independently in a lab. The ideal candidate has owned a system, subsystem, or component end to end from requirements through delivery multiple times, including at least one that reached production. They think at the system level rather than purely the component level, are fluent enough with firmware and OS-layer concepts to collaborate effectively with the software team (without writing code themselves), and operate independently while communicating clearly with leadership. Because most hardware is vendor-supplied rather than custom-designed in-house, writing clear specifications and jointly defining requirements with external vendors is a real, constant part of the job. Saronic offers real scope here: mentorship of E1-level engineers for those who want that path, deep technical ownership for those who'd rather stay hands-on, and a path toward platform electrical engineering lead for high performers. Leadership opportunities exist but are limited; this is a technical ownership role first, with growth paths as a secondary opportunity rather than the primary draw.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
5-7+ years of relevant experience, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of a system, subsystem, or component multiple times, including at least one that reached production
System-level architecture and sizing experience, not solely component-level work
Strong understanding of firmware/OS-layer concepts sufficient to collaborate fluently with software engineers
Demonstrated independence, schedule ownership, and strong upward communication
Experience writing specifications and managing requirements jointly with external vendors

Nice To Haves

Low-level PCB design exposure
Hands-on firmware or embedded software experience
Power electronics, particularly power converter subcomponents or charging systems
Engine controls experience
Experience with design tools such as Zuken, AutoCAD Electrical, or SolidWorks Electrical, and familiarity with military environmental standards (MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461)

Responsibilities

Own system-level electrical architecture and sizing decisions across one or more vessel platforms, balancing controls, sensors, and communications into a cohesive system
Design, integrate, and support subsystems within the team's core domains: PLC controls and sensor integration (including fluid sensors), engine controls, and higher-level compute/sensor payload integration (e.g., perception cameras)
Move fluidly across the full subsystem lifecycle: clean-sheet design, writing test plans and FAT procedures, and hands-on manufacturing debug support based on direct floor feedback
Collaborate closely with the software team at the firmware/OS-layer boundary, understanding what they need from the electrical side without writing code
Author and shape technical requirements directly, rather than only executing against requirements someone else wrote
Own a program schedule and drive it independently, including the judgment to identify when a schedule won't hold and determine what to descope to protect it, without relying on a program manager to hold scope together
Source, specify, and manage relationships with external vendors supplying off-the-shelf components, writing clear technical specifications and jointly defining requirements with vendor engineering teams
Participate in cross-functional design reviews spanning engineering, manufacturing, vendors, and customers; cross reviews are run at every level on this team, not just for junior engineers
Lead or support field testing of vessels as the primary mode of validating subsystem and system-level performance
Mentor E1-level engineers for those interested in that path, or maintain deep individual technical ownership for those who prefer to stay hands-on

Benefits

Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents
Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care Saronic pays 100% of the premium under the basic plan for employees and 80% for dependents
Generous PTO and Holidays
Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents
Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses
Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan with company match
Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company's success
Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
Pet Insurance: Discounted pet insurance options including 24/7 Telehealth helpline
Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office