Chief Electrical Engineer

Karman Space & Defense; Mukilteo (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Health Savings Account with companycon

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a Chief Electrical Engineer to lead electrical engineering across programs, establishing standards and guiding design from concept through deployment.

You will mentor engineers, manage risk, ensure compliance with military specs and aerospace standards, and support customer engagements and proposals as part of a growing defense-focused team.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 10+ years technical experience with 3+ years in management or leadership.
• Experience leading complex electrical engineering efforts and architectures.
• Experience with PCB design and harness/interconnect design.
• Knowledge of military specifications, aerospace and IPC standards.
• Ability to evaluate technical risk and solve complex problems without predefined solutions.
• DoD Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to Electrical Engineers across programs.
• Define and drive electrical system architectures and interfaces.
• Oversee electrical designs for feasibility, performance, reliability, safety, cost, and compliance.
• Lead electrical concept, design, and technical reviews.
• Establish and maintain electrical engineering standards, design practices, guidelines, tools, and training.
• Oversee PCB, circuit, power, harness, and interconnect design.
• Evaluate technical risks, uncertainty, and tradeoffs.
• Provide technical direction for complex electrical engineering problems and resolution of cross-functional issues.
• Oversee electrical integration, testing, qualification, verification, and troubleshooting.
• Support customer technical relationships, proposals, presentations, and business development activities.

Skills

Electrical engineering leadership

PCB design

Harness/interconnect design

Altium Designer

PSpice LTspice

System architectures

Technical leadership

Communication & customer relationships

DoD clearance capability

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

M.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Altium Designer

PSpice LTspice

Job description

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies' core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space.

Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

Designs and delivers dependable hypersonic/strategic missile defense systems, integrating multiple technologies into unified, mission-ready hardware supporting demanding environments.

As Chief Electrical Engineer, you provide technical leadership for electrical and electronic system development, establish engineering standards and practices, mentor engineering personnel, and guide technical direction across programs. You ensure technical integrity from concept through detailed design, integration, testing, qualification, production, and deployment while supporting customer engagements and company growth.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership, guidance, mentorship, and direction to Electrical Engineers across programs.
• Define and drive electrical system architectures, including cross-functional requirements allocation and interface development.
• Oversee electrical designs for feasibility, performance, reliability, manufacturability, safety, cost, and compliance.
• Lead electrical concept, design, and technical reviews, providing direction on major decisions and complex issues.
• Establish and maintain electrical engineering standards, design practices, guidelines, tools, and training.
• Oversee PCB, circuit, power, harness, and interconnect design, considering ESD, EMI/EMC, grounding, bonding, shielding, signal integrity, and thermal environments.
• Evaluate technical risks, uncertainty, and tradeoffs associated with electrical requirements, architectures, and designs.
• Provide technical direction for complex electrical engineering problems and resolution of cross-functional issues.
• Oversee electrical integration, testing, qualification, verification, and troubleshooting.
• Support customer technical relationships, proposals, presentations, and business development activities.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent technical field.
• 10+ years technical experience plus 3+ years management or technical leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex electrical engineering efforts and developing system architectures.
• Experience with electrical/electronic systems, PCB design, and harness/interconnect design.
• Knowledge of military specifications and applicable aerospace and IPC standards.
• Ability to evaluate technical risk and solve complex problems without established solutions.
• Experience with electrical engineering tools such as Altium and PSpice/LTspice.
• Excellent communication, leadership, mentorship, and customer relationship skills.
• A current U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent technical field.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company-paid life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.