Principal Electrical Engineer

Principal Electrical Engineer

Full-time

Denver, CO

$170K - $215K

About this role

Our client is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) technology startup leading the way in synthetic air combat training. Our primary technology enables pilots to simulate the cognitive challenges of flying while accessing realistic, scalable training in dynamic outdoor environments.

As a Principal Electrical Engineer, you will play a critical role in the design and development of next-generation augmented reality systems for demanding aerospace environments. You will be responsible for the end-to-end execution of complex electrical designs, including requirement derivation, circuit architecture, detailed design, integration, and qualification testing. Your work will directly contribute to fielded, high-performance AR systems that meet stringent aerospace and military standards.

This is a technical contributor role with a focus on hardware design, engineering excellence, and system integration. While this role has no formal management duties, you will provide technical leadership and mentorship to less experienced engineers, and contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering processes as the company evolves.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and develop electrical hardware for rugged, airborne applications.
• Execute and maintain the entire electrical hardware lifecycle: design, simulation, schematic capture, PCB layout, bring-up, debug, and integration.
• Translate high-level system requirements into detailed electrical hardware specifications.
• Ensure compliance with MIL-STD-704 for power system interface design, including protection against voltage transients, frequency deviations, and other input power anomalies.
• Develop verification strategies and test plans that demonstrate compliance with electrical and environmental requirements (e.g., EMI, thermal, vibration).
• Evaluate and select components based on performance, availability, and MIL-spec compliance.
• Contribute to system architecture reviews and risk analyses (e.g., FMEA, fault tree).
• Create and maintain rigorous design documentation, including block diagrams, schematics and test reports.
• Collaborate with mechanical, software, systems, and manufacturing engineers to ensure seamless integration and system-level performance.
• Interface with fabrication houses and contract manufacturers to ensure successful board builds, first article reviews, and production ramp.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior and mid-level engineers; participate in design reviews and foster knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement and optimization of engineering workflows, tools, and standards as the company scales.
• Ensure DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and DFT (Design for Testability) principles are applied throughout the design process.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in electrical design for complex hardware systems.

Strong expertise in:

• High-speed digital design (e.g., DDR3/DDR4, PCIe, USB 3.0, DisplayPort)
• Mixed-signal circuit design, FPGAs, SoCs, embedded systems
• Analog and power circuitry for aerospace-grade equipment
• Proven experience designing to MIL-STD-704 and understanding of related standards.
• Proficient in analyzing system performance and applying corrective actions through simulation and empirical methods.
• Familiarity with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, power analyzers, spectrum analyzers, etc.
• Hands-on experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools (Altium preferred).
• Qualified candidates must have the ability to obtain a security clearance. This requires U.S. Citizenship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with FPGA development concepts, including:
• RTL design and verification (VHDL/Verilog)
• Timing closure and constraints
• IP core integration and system-on-chip design flows
• Demonstrated experience working directly with PCB fabrication houses and contract manufacturers, including:
• Creating and reviewing fabrication and assembly documentation packages (Gerbers, ODB , BOMs, stackups, assembly drawings)
• Addressing DFM/DFA feedback during board fabrication
• Supporting first article builds, board bring-up, and debug in coordination with CMs
• Experience supporting environmental testing and qualification campaigns.
• Exposure to thermal and structural considerations for airborne electronics.
• Familiarity with formal configuration management and document control systems.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring engineers and helping evolve high-integrity engineering processes.
• Proactive contributor to process development and optimization in fast-growing or evolving hardware organizations.
• 15 years of experience in electrical design for complex hardware systems, with hands-on implementation experience.

Equity

Competitive equity

Visa sponsorship is not available. Must be a US citizen to obtain security clearance.