Electrical Engineer

Jobtailor; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Charlottesville, VA is seeking a hardware engineer to design, validate analog and digital circuitry for precision absorbance measurement systems. You will develop embedded firmware in C/C++ for sensor acquisition and wireless/USB communication, and collaborate with mechanical and optical engineers to create compact, robust enclosures suitable for rugged environments.

The role requires 3+ years in hardware design, familiarity with Altium/KiCad and LTSpice, and a track record of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field required.
• 3+ years hardware/electronics design experience.
• Experience in medical devices, scientific instrumentation, or biotech preferred.
• Proficiency with Altium/KiCad and LTSpice.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and validate analog and digital circuitry for precision absorbance measurement systems.
• Develop embedded firmware (C/C++) for microcontrollers managing sensor acquisition, data processing, and wireless/USB communication.
• Conduct electrical and functional testing including EMC/EMI evaluation and regulatory pre-compliance testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical and optical engineers to integrate electronics into compact, environmentally robust enclosures.
• Perform PCB layout with noise management, impedance control, and thermal management.
• Support DFM and DFT with contract manufacturers and suppliers.
• Troubleshoot and debug hardware issues at board and system level.
• Maintain detailed design documentation including schematics, BOMs, and test protocols.
• Assist in selection and qualification of electrical components and subassemblies.
• Support regulatory submissions (FCC, CE, UL) as needed.
• Contribute to product roadmap planning and provide engineering input on new concepts.
• Perform ad-hoc engineering tasks as directed by CEO/Engineering leadership.

Skills

Analog Circuit Design

Embedded Firmware Development

Signal Integrity Analysis

Noise Management

Electrical Testing

Regulatory Compliance

Data Processing

Problem-Solving

Attention to Detail

Written Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Altium Designer

KiCad

LTSpice

Oscilloscopes

Logic Analyzers

Precision Multimeters

I2C

SPI

UART

USB

PCB Layout

Job description

• Design, develop, and validate analog and digital circuitry for precision absorbance measurement systems, including photodetector amplifiers, LED drive circuits, gas-discharge and arc lamp power supplies, and multi-wavelength optical sensing electronics


• Develop embedded firmware (C/C++) for microcontrollers managing sensor acquisition, data processing, and wireless/USB communication


• Conduct electrical and functional testing, including noise analysis, signal integrity, EMC/EMI evaluation, and regulatory pre-compliance testing


• Collaborate with mechanical and optical engineers to integrate electronics into compact, environmentally robust enclosures suitable for anaerobic chambers, incubators, and field use


• Perform PCB layout, including noise management, impedance control, and thermal management


• Support design for manufacturability (DFM) and design for testability (DFT) activities, working with contract manufacturers and suppliers


• Troubleshoot and debug hardware issues at the board and system level throughout development and production


• Maintain detailed design documentation including schematics, BOMs, design history files, and test protocols


• Assist in the selection and qualification of electrical components and subassemblies


• Support regulatory submissions (FCC, CE, UL) as needed


• Contribute to product roadmap planning and provide engineering input on new product concepts


• Perform ad-hoc engineering tasks as directed by the Chief Executive Officer and/or Engineering leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field required; Master's degree preferred


• 3+ years of experience in hardware/electronics design, preferably in medical devices, scientific instrumentation, or biotech


• Proficiency in PCB design tools (Altium Designer, KiCad, or equivalent) and EDA simulation tools (LTSpice or equivalent)


• Experience with analog circuit design: transimpedance amplifiers, low-noise signal conditioning, ADC interfaces, and power management


• Experience with embedded microcontroller platforms (AVR, STM32, ARM Cortex, or similar) and firmware development in C/C++


• Familiarity with optical sensing systems, photodiodes, and LED drive circuits is strongly preferred


• Knowledge of internal and external digital communication protocols: I2C, SPI, UART, USB, ZigBee, Bluetooth/BLE


• Experience with test equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and precision multimeters


• Familiarity with regulatory standards (FCC Part 15, CE marking, IEC 61010) preferred


• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced startup environment.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in analog and digital circuitry design, embedded firmware development, and PCB layout for precision measurement systems. Proficient in regulatory compliance and collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver robust electronic solutions.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Analog Circuit Design


• Embedded Firmware Development


• PCB Design Tools (Altium Designer, KiCad)


• Regulatory Standards (FCC, CE, UL)


• Microcontroller Platforms (AVR, STM32, ARM Cortex)

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Analog Circuit Design


• Embedded Firmware Development


• PCB Layout


• Signal Integrity Analysis


• Noise Management


• Data Processing


• Electrical Testing


• Component Selection


• Regulatory Compliance


• Optical Sensing Systems

Soft Skills

• Problem-Solving


• Attention to Detail


• Written Communication


• Verbal Communication


• Collaboration

Industry Keywords

• Medical Devices


• Scientific Instrumentation


• Biotech


• EMC/EMI Evaluation


• Design for Manufacturability


• Design for Testability


• Wireless Communication


• LED Drive Circuits


• Photodetector Amplifiers


• Multi-Wavelength Optical Sensing

Tools & Technologies

• Altium Designer


• KiCad


• LTSpice


• Oscilloscopes


• Logic Analyzers


• Precision Multimeters


• I2C


• SPI


• UART


• USB