Electrical Engineer

Aquatic Labs; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Unlimited PTO

Flexible hours

Hybrid work opportunities

Job summary

Aquatic is seeking highly motivated Electrical Engineers to support carbon sensor and genomic monitoring efforts, including rapid prototyping, testing, and deployment at sea. You will work on motor controllers, novel input interfaces, and micro-power optimization, collaborating with mechanical and design engineers for compact, user-friendly systems.

The role involves field deployments, CAD collaboration, PCB fabrication collaboration, and tight feedback loops with scientists.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or similar with demonstrable experience from ideation to fabrication and testing.
• PhD or Master's in EE/CS preferred; candidates with strong engineering evidence may be considered for Senior roles.
• Experience may be academic or industry-based; strong problem-solving and prototyping skills required.

Responsibilities

• Lead or assist electrical design of key components and deploy major projects.
• Prototype and test novel sensors and embedded systems for ocean deployments.
• Collaborate across teams to solve hard problems and optimize for size, power, and reliability.
• Design benchtop and field tests; measure performance of new systems.

Skills

Electrical design

C/C++/Python

Inter-chip & inter-board comms

3D CAD

Embedded systems

PCB fabrication

Startup adaptability

Field deployments at sea

Education

Bachelor's in electrical engineering or computer science

PhD or Master's in EE/CS (optional)

Tools

Fusion 360

Eagle

PCB milling/assembly tools

Job description

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Aquatic is seeking highly motivated and exceptionally creative Electrical Engineers to support our carbon sensor and genomic monitoring teams through rapid prototyping, testing and iteration, and deployment at sea. This role will span a range of engineering challenges, from implementing motor controllers for custom actuators to prototyping novel user input interfaces for diver-deployed devices, from micro-power optimization to processing and filtering analog and digital sensor data.

Description

About AquaticAquatic's mission is to reveal the invisible throughout the world's waters.Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Aquatic is combining cutting-edge semiconductor technology, transformative ocean science, agile development methods, and modern fabrication approaches to create globally-scalable tools for tracking carbon, nutrients, and biodiversity persistently and pervasively throughout the world’s oceans – tools that are absolutely essential and desperately needed for monitoring and verification of ocean carbon sequestration, as well as a host of other global industries.From tracking ocean carbon to monitoring changing ecosystems, Aquatic is redefining what is possible to know underwater.

Job DescriptionAquatic is seeking highly motivated and exceptionally creative Electrical Engineers to support our carbon sensor and genomic monitoring teams through rapid prototyping, testing and iteration, and deployment at sea. This role will span a range of engineering challenges, from implementing motor controllers for custom actuators to prototyping novel user input interfaces for diver-deployed devices, from micro-power optimization to processing and filtering analog and digital sensor data.There is always a need to use a new chipset or a new sensor, so the ability to comb through data sheets and tackle new and unknown challenges with confidence is critical. In this role, you will be expected to use CAD software to collaborate and negotiate spatial constraints and cable routing with the mechanical and design engineers to create systems that are easily assembled, compact and efficient, and as user friendly as possible.The position may involve occasional field deployments / expeditions to work directly with scientists to support their data collection efforts and assist in testing, especially during some of the maiden expeditions of any new technology.The scope and responsibilities of this role is expected to expand rapidly as the company grows.We have multiple open positions, so interested applicants at all levels are encouraged to apply.Our highly collaborative team is based at our new facility in Central Square, Cambridge, MA, with additional facilities available at The Engine and MIT.nano.While everyone on the team is welcome to work remotely from time to time as convenient, the expectation is that this role will be largely in-person and on-site.

Essential FunctionsIn this position you will imagine, design, prototype, iterate, and commercially deploy innovative sensors and embedded systems tackling some of the thorniest problems in the ocean.This position requires a strong engineering background, meticulous work habits, strong interpersonal skills, curiosity, creativity, self-motivation and professionalism.Specific responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Leading or assisting with the electrical design of key components, including collaboration on the fabrication, testing, and deployment of major projects.
• Incorporating and inventing new technologies.
• Interacting with the entire Aquatic team to brainstorm new approaches to hard problems within and well beyond your specific expertise.
• Design and implement benchtop and field tests, and take measurements to evaluate the performance of a new system or technology.

Education & ExperienceBachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or similar with demonstrable experience of building circuits from initial ideation to fabrication and testing. This experience can be purely academic or from industry.Alternatively, a Ph.D. or Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or similar.Candidates without a formal engineering degree but with strong evidence of an established, specialized engineering skill gained through experience, may be considered for Engineer or Technical Assistant positions.

Skills and qualifications

• Excellent electronic design skills, both analog and digital, including schematic-level design, simulation, circuit board layout, and troubleshooting.
• Fluency in C / C++ / Python / and other high-level programming languages, including comfort in learning new languages as needed.
• Experience with inter-chip and inter-board communication protocols: i2c, RS232, Serial etc
• Experience with 3D CAD software to facilitate close collaboration with mechanical engineers.
• Experience with designing, fabricating, programming, debugging, and deploying embedded systems.
• Experience communicating with PCB fabricators ( gerber files, sourcing exotic components, etc.)
• Adaptable to the dynamic environment of a startup.
• Enthusiasm for field deployments at sea.
• Share our core values and demonstrate a hunger to learn and grow as an engineer.Other skills that are desirable but not required include:
• Experience with actuation control: PID and 3-phase brushless motors
• Experience with precision sensing, signal filtering, and analog-digital interfaces.
• Experience working with oceanographic systems, and therefore understanding the unique challenges that come with designing for the ocean environment such as: sealed housings, potted electronics, wired penetrators, thermal management, moisture and corrosion.
• Experience with battery powered devices, particularly in designing for long deployments and low power.
• Experience with a wide array of operating system programming and administration.
• Experience with Autodesk family of design tools, particularly Fusion 360 and Eagle
• Experience with PCB milling and pick-and-place machines.
• Experience with 3D printers.
• Experience with data analysis.

Aquatic provides a variety of benefits including medical, unlimited PTO, flexible hours and (partial) hybrid working opportunities.

Aquatic is an equal opportunity employer.