What are the responsibilities and job description for the Electrical Engineer position at Air Force Research Laboratory?
Job Overview
This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 22 May 2026.
The Geospace Environment Impacts and Applications Branch seeks a highly skilled Electrical Engineer to join our hardware team. This role is critical to the development lifecycle of our space-based sensor payloads and related laboratory instrumentation for our in-house programs. The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end design, high-fidelity simulation, prototyping, and rigorous testing and documentation of complex analog circuitry.
The ideal candidate thrives in a multidisciplinary environment where precision is paramount and the "test as you fly" philosophy is standard. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring our sensors can perform reliably in the harsh, unpredictable environment of space. As a member of a highly skilled team, this engineer will lead in organizing, conducting, and monitoring critical science and technology activities, including applied research and advanced technology development.
Key responsibilities include establishing requirements and developing or supervising the development of electronic space experiment system designs, either new or adapted from previous versions. The role also involves building, testing, verifying, and calibrating newly-developed electronic systems. Furthermore, the engineer will prepare and defend documentation for critical system reviews, ensure development efforts are documented to professional engineering standards, and lead or contribute significantly to field measurements as required, including satellite integration tests.
Position duties include, but are not limited to:
Yes, this position is eligible for situational telework; as determined by agency policy
Remote Work (CONUS)
No, this position is not approved for remote work.
Eligible for a Referral Bonus?
No
Required Qualifications
For further details regarding this position, contact Dr. Daniel Ober daniel.ober.1@spaceforce.mil.
Requisition Number 59727
Series
0855
This announcement will be accepting candidate submissions until 22 May 2026.
The Geospace Environment Impacts and Applications Branch seeks a highly skilled Electrical Engineer to join our hardware team. This role is critical to the development lifecycle of our space-based sensor payloads and related laboratory instrumentation for our in-house programs. The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end design, high-fidelity simulation, prototyping, and rigorous testing and documentation of complex analog circuitry.
The ideal candidate thrives in a multidisciplinary environment where precision is paramount and the "test as you fly" philosophy is standard. The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring our sensors can perform reliably in the harsh, unpredictable environment of space. As a member of a highly skilled team, this engineer will lead in organizing, conducting, and monitoring critical science and technology activities, including applied research and advanced technology development.
Key responsibilities include establishing requirements and developing or supervising the development of electronic space experiment system designs, either new or adapted from previous versions. The role also involves building, testing, verifying, and calibrating newly-developed electronic systems. Furthermore, the engineer will prepare and defend documentation for critical system reviews, ensure development efforts are documented to professional engineering standards, and lead or contribute significantly to field measurements as required, including satellite integration tests.
Position duties include, but are not limited to:
- Lead the design of high-precision analog circuits, including low-noise amplifiers, filters, and signal conditioning stages. Perform rigorous analog simulations (SPICE) to validate performance against thermal and radiation-induced stressors.
- Develop and iterate on PCB layouts, ensuring signal integrity and power distribution requirements are met for space-rated components.
- Design and execute comprehensive test plans. Conduct bench-level testing using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and precision sources to validate hardware against specifications.
- Assist in the transition from lab prototypes to flight models, participating in thermal-vacuum (TVAC) and vibration testing protocols.
- Author detailed design documents, test reports, and failure analysis reports for internal review and mission readiness certification.
- Work closely with systems scientists, engineers, software engineers, and mechanical engineers to integrate sensor payloads into the larger spacecraft architecture.
Yes, this position is eligible for situational telework; as determined by agency policy
Remote Work (CONUS)
No, this position is not approved for remote work.
Eligible for a Referral Bonus?
No
Required Qualifications
- US Citizenship.
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) or a related field from an accredited academic institution.
- Proven experience in analog circuit design, specifically focusing on low-noise, high-sensitivity signal chains and precision instrumentation.
- Hands-on experience with analog simulation tools (e.g., LTspice, PSpice, Cadence Virtuoso, or Mentor Graphics).
- Demonstrated ability to debug complex hardware using advanced laboratory equipment (DSO, Signal Generators, Logic Analyzers).
- A methodical approach to troubleshooting hardware failures and developing solutions.
- Strong and effective communication skills, critical thinking skills and practical problem-solving.
- Applicants must currently hold, or have the ability to obtain, a DoW SECRET clearance.
- Advanced Degree (Masters) in a relevant science or engineering field.
- Experience with digital logic design, FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL), or microcontroller integration.
- Familiarity with radiation-hardening techniques (Rad-Hard) and components for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environments.
- Experience interfacing analog front-ends with digital back-ends via SPI, I2C, or high-speed LVDS.
- Proficiency in Altium Designer, KiCad, or Cadence Allegro.
For further details regarding this position, contact Dr. Daniel Ober daniel.ober.1@spaceforce.mil.
Requisition Number 59727
Series
0855