Staff or Chief Electrical Engineer

Hello- Our North San Diego client is very actively searching for a Chief or Staff level Electrical Engineer to be the final technical authority on LV/HV electrical decisions. Please inquire to hear more about this unique opportunity.

Job Title

Staff or Chief Electrical Engineer – Low & High Voltage Systems

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Staff or Chief Electrical Engineer to own the design and delivery of production‑ready low‑voltage (LV) and high‑voltage (HV) electrical systems for a startup environment. This is a senior individual contributor role requiring exceptional expertise in circuit and schematic design, disciplined component selection, and the ability to troubleshoot complex issues at both the board and system levels.

The ideal candidate combines deep hands‑on engineering skill with sound judgment, design rigor, and the ability to influence technical direction across teams.

This role is explicitly focused on designing for production. Our prototyping phase is complete; candidates must have experience delivering robust, manufacturable designs suitable for scale, reliability, and long‑term support.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Architecture & System Ownership

• Architect and own integrated LV and HV electrical systems from requirements definition through production release.
• Define system‑level electrical architectures, including isolation boundaries, grounding strategies, safety partitioning, and interfaces.
• Make and document technical tradeoffs balancing performance, reliability, cost, manufacturability, testability, and supply‑chain risk.
• Take end‑to‑end ownership of electrical design quality within assigned subsystems or across the full system.

Circuit & Schematic Design (Core Responsibility)

• Design, review, and maintain production‑quality electrical schematics using Altium Designer.
• Develop and own circuits covering:
• HV and LV power generation, conversion, and distribution
• Regulation, sensing, control, and protection
• Isolation and safety‑critical functions
• Perform rigorous circuit analysis including worst‑case conditions, transient behavior, fault scenarios, startup/shutdown behavior, and tolerance stack‑ups.
• Ensure schematics clearly convey design intent and support long‑term maintenance, revision control, and knowledge transfer.

Component Selection & Production Design

• Lead component selection with clear ownership and accountability.
• Select components based on:
• Electrical and thermal margins and derating
• Reliability and lifetime expectations
• Proven field performance where applicable
• Supply‑chain availability, alternates, and obsolescence risk
• Cost sensitivity appropriate to a startup environment
• Select HV‑rated components with appropriate creepage, clearance, isolation ratings, and certifications.
• Design circuits explicitly for DFM, DFA, and in‑production testability.
• Support BOM reviews, component qualification, and controlled design changes.

High‑Voltage Engineering

• Design HV systems including insulation strategies, creepage/clearance, grounding, discharge paths, and safety interlocks.
• Implement HV fault detection, arc‑energy mitigation, and controlled energy discharge strategies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety and regulatory requirements.

Low‑Voltage Engineering

• Design LV circuitry including power management, control electronics, interfaces, signal conditioning, and communications.
• Manage LV/HV interactions to prevent noise coupling, ground loops, and safety risks.
• Ensure robust EMC/ESD performance suitable for real‑world deployment.

Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution

• Lead board‑level and system‑level troubleshooting across development, validation, and production.
• Diagnose electrical failures related to components, tolerances, layout interactions, or system‑level behavior.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and implement corrective actions, including schematic, component, or architectural updates.
• Partner with manufacturing, test, and quality teams to resolve production and field issues.

Startup‑Focused Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with mechanical, firmware, systems, safety, manufacturing, and operations teams in a fast‑moving startup environment.
• Engage directly with suppliers to resolve technical issues and qualify components.
• Balance engineering rigor with execution speed and limited resources.
• Mentor other engineers through design reviews, technical guidance, and example.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience (Master’s preferred for Chief‑level scope).
• 10 years of professional experience designing both low‑voltage and high‑voltage electrical systems.
• Deep expertise in circuit design, schematic capture, and component selection using Altium Designer.
• Proven track record delivering production hardware, not just prototypes.
• Strong hands‑on ability troubleshooting complex issues at both board and system levels.
• Solid understanding of:
• Power electronics and power distribution (LV and HV)
• Protection and fault‑detection circuits
• Isolation, grounding, and safety design
• EMC/ESD and reliability considerations in production systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated or safety‑critical industries (e.g., automotive, EV, energy, industrial).
• Prior startup experience or demonstrated comfort working with evolving requirements and limited structure.
• Experience supporting manufacturing scale‑up, field returns, or reliability investigations.

Leveling Expectations

Staff Electrical Engineer

• Owns complex LV and HV subsystems with high autonomy.
• Independently delivers production‑ready designs with minimal oversight.
• Leads schematic reviews and resolves technically challenging electrical problems.
• Applies strong engineering judgment while moving quickly within startup constraints.
• Mentors junior engineers through direct technical engagement and review.

Chief Electrical Engineer

• Owns system‑level electrical architecture spanning multiple subsystems or the entire product.
• Sets company‑wide electrical design standards, best practices, and safety philosophies.
• Serves as the final technical authority on LV/HV electrical decisions.
• Leads resolution of cross‑system, cross‑discipline, or systemic electrical issues.
• Influences long‑term technical direction, scaling strategy, and engineering culture for the company.