Electrical Engineer

Beacon Photonics; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Employee stock ownership

Health, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Beacon Photonics, a dynamic Arlington, VA startup, is seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to build internal EE infrastructure and lead hands-on development of fieldable PCBAs on a high-performance photonics platform.

Ideal candidates have 9+ years (varies by degree) in hardware design, strong Altium skills, and hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes and signal generators. You will work with cross-functional teams to ship robust, laser‑drive electronics and high-speed interfaces.

Qualifications

• B.S./M.S./Ph.D. in electrical/computer engineering with 9+, 6+, or 3+ years of hardware design experience.
• Proficiency with EDA tools for schematic capture and PCB layout (Altium preferred).
• Proven track record designing, simulating, laying out, and bringing up multi-layer PCBs.
• Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators.
• Experience programming microcontrollers (C) and/or FPGAs (VHDL/Verilog).
• Design of low-noise analog circuits, PID temperature controls, and current sources.

Responsibilities

• Build and stand up internal EE infrastructure, workflows, and lab capabilities.
• Lead the design, simulation, and layout of advanced electronic hardware and PCBAs.
• Design low-noise, high-precision laser drivers, control loops, and biasing circuitry.
• Create high-speed control hardware to interface directly with photonic integrated circuits.
• Deliver fieldable optical microsystems incorporating electronics and FPGAs / µCs.
• Manage fabrication, component, and assembly vendors for rapid hardware prototyping.
• Collaborate with photonics and packaging engineers to guide product development.

Skills

PCB design

FPGA

MCU programming

Lab instrumentation

Analog circuit design

PID control

RF design

Firmware

Education

Electrical Engineering degree (B.S./M.S./Ph.D.)

Tools

Altium

Job description

Beacon Photonics is creating revolutionary optical microsystems to disrupt traditional laser markets. Founded by pioneers in the field of integrated photonics, we are a dynamic tech startup at the forefront of optical innovation. Our heterogeneous photonics technology enables high-performance products that provide unparalleled advantages in cost, size, and functionality for communications, sensing, and quantum systems. We are a dedicated group of world-class engineers and scientists devoted to realizing transformative capabilities and solving real-world problems.

We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to join our rapidly growing team. In this role, you will build and establish our internal infrastructure and workflows from the ground up while leading the hands‑on development of fieldable prototypes and printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) that leverage our high-performance chip‑scale photonics platform. The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise in the design, layout, and implementation of advanced electrical hardware. In addition, they will have practical experience integrating microcontrollers and FPGAs. As a key team member, you will refine and deliver products, lead technical efforts, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and stand up internal EE infrastructure, workflows, and lab capabilities
• Lead the design, simulation, and layout of advanced electronic hardware and PCBAs
• Design low-noise, high-precision laser drivers, control loops, and biasing circuitry
• Create high-speed control hardware to interface directly with photonic integrated circuits
• Deliver fieldable optical microsystems incorporating electronics and FPGAs / µCs
• Manage fabrication, component, and assembly vendors for rapid hardware prototyping
• Collaborate with photonics and packaging engineers to guide product development

Requirements

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar with 9+, 6+, or 3+ years of professional experience, respectively, in electronic hardware design and testing
• Proficiency with standard EDA tools for schematic capture and PCB layout (Altium preferred)
• Proven track record designing, simulating, laying out, and bringing up multi-layer PCBs
• Hands‑on experience with standard lab instruments (oscilloscopes, ESAs, signal generators)
• General experience in programming microcontrollers (C) and/or FPGAs (VHDL / Verilog)
• Implementation of low‑noise analog circuits, PID temperature controls, and current sources

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience designing drive, control, or biasing electronics for lasers and photonic circuits
• High‑speed modulation, RF circuit design, and signal integrity modeling
• Knowledge of optoelectronic packaging and high‑frequency interconnects
• Expertise in firmware for embedded microcontrollers (C) or FPGA HDL (VHDL / Verilog)

Beacon Photonics has offices in Arlington, VA and Santa Barbara, CA. We value innovation, collaboration, open and honest communication, and a passion for technology. Come build your future with us! Our benefits include competitive compensation and employee stock ownership. We provide generous family medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, holidays, parental leave, and paid time off. Beacon is an equal‑opportunity employer, committed to sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by law.

Estimated Salary Range: $140K – $210K

Actual compensation for the role will be commensurate with the candidate’s education, work experience, skills, incoming position, and responsibilities.

This position involves access to technology that may be subject to U.S. export controls. Such access is granted to U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful permanent residents, certain categories of refugees and asylees, and those who can obtain appropriate export control licenses from the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce.