Principal Electrical Engineer

Req Id: 434

Location:

Billerica, MA, US, 01821

Date: Jul 6, 2026

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) Headquartered in Clarksburg, MD, is a U.S. company that has been serving domestic and international defense Air, Land and Sea domains for 60 years. With over 1,000 employees, TDSI and its four subsidiaries (Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Digital Receiver Technology, Tampa Microwave, and Trusted Cyber Technologies), supports U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi-national partners with a variety of communication, visualization, signal intelligence/electronic warfare, and sensor/sonar capabilities. TDSI’s key technologies include tactical handheld radios, expeditionary satellite terminals, helmet-mounted displays, optics and target recognition capability, advanced radars, undersea sensing and missile systems. Lives depend on what we do!

Top Benefits (Subject to terms of applicable policies/plans)

• Competitive Salary
• Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
• Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
• Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
• Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
• Hybrid working environment
  
  

We currently have an opening in our Billerica, MA office for a Principal Electrical Engineer. This position reports to the Electrical Engineering Manager located in Aurora, IL. The Principal Electrical Engineer performs the electrical design of small, lightweight, helmet mounted display equipment. The candidate will work as a member of a design team by providing quality designs using advanced principles of electrical engineering, produce detailed designs using Altium, support prototype builds and verification testing, create and maintain bills of material, and provide supplier support during the procurement of materials. The ideal candidate will be able to lead Project Meetings and coordinate Product Development from product inception to production handoff.

Responsibilities

• Lead small digital engineering teams and/or work independently to define requirements, conceive, document (create schematics, interface control documents, hardware design documents, test plans/reports, etc.), analyze/simulate, build prototypes, oversee PCB layouts, perform verification testing, debug, and optimize digital circuit designs to meet requirements at the circuit, card, and product levels.
• Perform technical trade studies and analyses to select digital architecture and key components.
• Design, simulate, analyze and test a variety of analog and digital circuits and components commonly used in helmet mounted display equipment.
• Create electronic circuit schematics and lead PCB design/layout activities.
• Create documentation to manufacture printed wiring assemblies (PWAs) and transition designs to manufacturing.
• Write technical documents: test procedures, test datasheets, technical memoranda.
• Mentor and provide technical oversite to junior engineers.
• Verify product performance vs. predictions for prototype products and production hardware products.
• Develop detailed design specifications, test plans and test procedures.
• Analyze product failure data and malfunction testing trends, troubleshoot yield issues, and recommend product improvements, including test improvements.
• Participates in continuous improvement and team building activities. Maintains productive working relationships with all team members.
• Generate documentation for programming individual components, loading firmware on circuit card assemblies and loading firmware into fully assembled products.
• Effectively troubleshoot problems (define problem, collect data/facts, and draw conclusions), and implement solutions.
• Identify alternate components and perform qualification testing in order to replace obsolete components.
• Plan, design and manage PWB re-layout activities in order to replace obsolete components.
• Support test yield improvement activities in a manufacturing environment.
• Act as liaison between manufacturing diagnostic technicians and engineers on existing products and during transfer of new products manufacturing.
• Evaluate the effects of modified firmware on existing hardware platforms.
• Support R&D efforts and continuous process improvements.
• Complete assigned tasks in a quality and timely manner with minimal supervision.
• Effectively support and communicate to management status, issues, needs and ideas.
  
  

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• U.S. Citizenship required. - Applicants selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• BSEE/MSEE in Electrical Engineering.
• 8 years of experience in detailed circuit card design (board-level schematic design and capture), analysis and test.
• Extensive lab experience required- including hands-on design optimization, bringing boards up, and testing prototype/production designs.
• Digital design experience should include circuit card assemblies containing: PSoCs, Microprocessors, FPGAs/CPLDs, CODECs, USB drivers/switches and HUBs, RS-232/RS-485 drivers and switches, Low-EMI clocks/distribution (14.4MHz - 48MHz).
• Ability to analyze a design to meet technical requirements.
• Experience with DoD standards and practices (MIL-STD, ASTM, ANSI, DO-160 etc.).
• Proficiency in the use of schematic capture tools, ideally Altium Designer, Siemens/Mentor Xpedition, or OrCAD.
• Experience with Microsoft Office tools, such as, MSExcel, MSWord, Visio and MSProject.
• Strong communication skills both verbal and written.
• Ability to comply with all Company guidelines, policies, procedures and embrace Company Core Values.
  
  

The annualized pay range for this role is $149,988-$191,652 USD along with a target incentive compensation plan (ICP) of 5%. The pay range provided is a good faith estimate representative of the experience level for the role described above. TDSI considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

For specific questions about this job posting, candidates may contact talent acquisition at careers@thalesdsi.com.

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. is committed to non-discrimination as applicable under federal, state and local laws. We are an E-Verify Employer.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales Defense & Security, Inc., please call Human Resources at 202-961-1016.

Nearest Major Market: Boston