Design Engineer

Blue Signal Search; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Healthcare

Retirement support

Paid time off

Company paid life insurance

Job summary

Blue Signal Search is seeking a Design Engineer to design and refine audio circuits that musicians want to use. This role involves turning product ideas into polished designs, collaborating with a tight-knit team to create innovative products.

Candidates should have a degree in Electrical Engineering and experience with analog and digital products. This is a high-visibility role that provides ownership in product development.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or related hands-on experience in electronics.
• Experience developing electronic products with analog, digital, and mixed signal components.
• Familiarity with audio hardware and real-world product debugging.

Responsibilities

• Design and refine analog, digital, and mixed signal audio circuits for products.
• Convert product ideas into prototypes and production-ready designs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product usability.

Skills

Analog and digital circuit design

PCB design

Prototyping

Project ownership

Communication skills

Musical background

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium

Oscilloscopes

Signal generators

Multimeters

Job description

Location: On site in Austin, TX or Chicago, IL

Our client is a fast-growing creator of premium audio hardware with a reputation for building products that musicians genuinely want to use. They are hiring a Design Engineer who can blend strong electronics knowledge with real product instincts, helping turn bold ideas into polished, market ready gear. This is an opportunity to own meaningful work, shape product direction, and collaborate with a tight knit team where engineering has a visible impact on what reaches customers.

This Role Offers

• High visibility role with direct influence on new product development
• Opportunity to work on creative, musician focused hardware in a category driven by innovation and user experience
• Hands on ownership from early concept through validation and launch
• Collaborative environment that values curiosity, autonomy, craftsmanship, and thoughtful product decisions
• Competitive compensation and a solid benefits package that includes healthcare, retirement support, paid time off, and company paid life insurance

Focus

• Design and refine analog, digital, and mixed signal audio circuits for new hardware products
• Turn rough product ideas into testable prototypes, lab plans, and release ready design packages
• Partner with firmware, operations, and product stakeholders to balance tone, usability, cost, and manufacturability
• Use Altium or similar tools for schematic capture, PCB layout, and documentation control
• Build and troubleshoot prototypes with oscilloscopes, signal generators, multimeters, and audio test workflows
• Support pilot builds and production troubleshooting when a design moves from bench to volume
• Contribute product insight as a musician and gear user, not only as a circuit designer
• Help transition successful concepts into repeatable manufacturing processes and field support fixes

Skill Set

• Degree in Electrical Engineering or closely aligned hands on electronics product development background
• Experience developing electronic products that include analog, digital, and mixed signal elements
• Working knowledge of PCB design, component selection, prototyping, and lab validation
• Comfort owning projects, making sound engineering tradeoffs, and moving work forward with limited oversight
• Familiarity with audio hardware, signal path behavior, and real world product debugging
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in cross functional environments
• Music background required, ideally with hands on familiarity with instruments, effects, recording gear, or related equipment
• Exposure to firmware collaboration, DSP, manufacturing support, or compliance work is a plus

Why Candidates Are Excited About This Role

• You will help create products that people are excited to play, hear, and share
• You will have real ownership instead of being limited to a narrow slice of the design cycle
• You will work in a setting where product taste and user empathy matter alongside engineering skill
• You will join a team that values initiative, creativity, and thoughtful problem solving