Electrical Engineer

Quartermaster; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Quartermaster is seeking a versatile Electrical Engineer to lead design, development, and validation of the electrical subsystems powering the SmartMast platform—an edge-deployed, Linux and GPU-based sensor node for maritime intelligence.

In this role, you will be responsible for the full lifecycle of electrical design, from schematic capture and multi-layer PCB layout through to board bring-up, hardware debugging, and environmental validation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience designing, bringing up, and delivering production-grade embedded hardware.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout tools (e.g., Altium Designer, OrCAD).
• Strong foundation in high-speed signal integrity, power electronics, and mixed-signal design principles.
• Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, bench validation, and lab debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.
• Familiarity with camera and high-speed data interfaces (CSI, USB3, Ethernet, PCIe) as well as serial buses (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN).
• Experience designing ruggedized electronics built for environmentally constrained, high-reliability, or outdoor deployments.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary hardware, software, and mechanical teams.
• Bonus: experience with NVIDIA embedded platforms (Jetson), RF design considerations, or marine/aerospace hardware deployments.

Responsibilities

• Create schematics and multi-layer board layouts using industry-standard EDA tools, optimized for thermal, EMI, and mechanical constraints.
• Oversee PCB fabrication and assembly partners, managing BOMs, performing DFM/DFA reviews, and validating prototype runs.
• Integrate and interface peripherals and sensor payloads, including cameras, GPUs, SDRs, GNSS/GPS, IMUs, PoE, radar, and environmental sensors.
• Design rugged power delivery networks, including battery integration, surge suppression, and redundant regulation paths for safety-critical systems.
• Perform hands-on electrical bring-up, validation, and board-level troubleshooting across prototypes and production units using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and lab instrumentation.
• Drive design-for-reliability initiatives across shock, vibration, ingress protection (IP rating), lightning protection, and extreme thermal conditions.
• Support enclosure packaging and harness design in close collaboration with mechanical engineering to ensure robust physical and electrical integration.
• Maintain comprehensive engineering documentation, including schematics, test procedures, manufacturing guidelines, and hardware change logs (ECOs).
• Collaborate with software and AI teams to validate hardware stability and signal integrity under real-world workloads and operational field conditions.

Skills

Schematic capture

PCB layout

High-speed signals

Power electronics

Lab bring-up

Camera interfaces

USB3

Ethernet

PCIe

I2C

SPI

UART

CAN

NVIDIA Jetson

RF design considerations

Environmental ruggedization

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Tools

Altium Designer

OrCAD

Job description

About Us

Quartermaster is building the world’s most comprehensive maritime intelligence platform. Our SmartMast system transforms commercial and civilian vessels into a persistent, distributed sensing network—combining HD video, AI, radar, RF sensing, and AIS to deliver real-time maritime domain awareness at global scale. With 600+ sensors deployed across 25+ countries and more than 400,000 vessels identified outside of AIS, we are setting a new standard for what ocean surveillance and safety can look like. We are a mission-driven, high-velocity team building dual-use technology for defense agencies, coast guards, and commercial maritime operators.

Job Description

We are seeking a versatile and hands-on Electrical Engineer to lead the design, development, and validation of the electrical subsystems that power our SmartMast platform—an edge-deployed, Linux and GPU-based sensor node for maritime intelligence. In this role, you will be responsible for the full lifecycle of electrical design, from schematic capture and multi-layer PCB layout through to board bring-up, hardware debugging, and environmental validation. This includes integrating core compute hardware, rugged power delivery, peripheral interfaces, multi-sensor payloads, and EMI/resilience measures required for harsh marine field deployments. You’ll collaborate closely with mechanical, software, and systems engineers to evolve SmartMast into a modular, production-grade edge sensing platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Create schematics and multi-layer board layouts using industry-standard EDA tools, optimized for thermal, EMI, and mechanical constraints.

• Oversee PCB fabrication and assembly partners, managing BOMs, performing DFM/DFA reviews, and validating prototype runs.

• Integrate and interface peripherals and sensor payloads, including cameras, GPUs, SDRs, GNSS/GPS, IMUs, PoE, radar, and environmental sensors.

• Design rugged power delivery networks, including battery integration, surge suppression, and redundant regulation paths for safety-critical systems.

• Perform hands-on electrical bring-up, validation, and board-level troubleshooting across prototypes and production units using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and lab instrumentation.

• Drive design-for-reliability initiatives across shock, vibration, ingress protection (IP rating), lightning protection, and extreme thermal conditions.

• Support enclosure packaging and harness design in close collaboration with mechanical engineering to ensure robust physical and electrical integration.

• Maintain comprehensive engineering documentation, including schematics, test procedures, manufacturing guidelines, and hardware change logs (ECOs).

• Collaborate with software and AI teams to validate hardware stability and signal integrity under real-world workloads and operational field conditions.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.

• 6+ years of experience designing, bringing up, and delivering production-grade embedded hardware and mixed-signal systems.

• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB layout tools (e.g., Altium Designer, OrCAD).

• Strong foundation in high-speed signal integrity, power electronics, and mixed-signal design principles.

• Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, bench validation, and lab debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters.

• Familiarity with camera and high-speed data interfaces (CSI, USB3, Ethernet, PCIe) as well as serial buses (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN).

• Experience designing ruggedized electronics built for environmentally constrained, high-reliability, or outdoor deployments.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary hardware, software, and mechanical teams.

• Bonus: experience with NVIDIA embedded platforms (Jetson), RF design considerations, or marine/aerospace hardware deployments.

Work Environment

• Flexible working hours with occasional deadlines requiring high availability.

• Opportunity to work on innovative projects with a global impact.