Electrical Engineer

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 100,200 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans

MIT-funded pension

Matching 401K

Paid leave for various circumstances

Tuition reimbursement

Mentorship programs

Job summary

A leading research laboratory in Massachusetts is seeking an Electrical Engineer to work on advanced sensor technology solutions for national security. The role involves designing prototype systems, conducting testing, and collaborating in a high-paced environment. Qualified candidates should have experience in prototyping systems, circuit design, and PCB layout tools. Strong communication skills and familiarity with software development are essential. This position offers competitive compensation and robust benefits, including health insurance and a retirement plan.

Qualifications

• Experience with Printed Circuit Board design and layout.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented development environment.
• Experience in system-level design, architecture, or trade studies.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop prototype systems for DHS and DoD missions.
• Conduct testing of prototype systems including hardware integration.
• Collaborate in a fast-paced team environment on project goals.

Skills

Prototyping systems experience

Strong written and oral communication

Familiarity with electronics such as microcontrollers

Tools

PCB design tools (e.g., Mentor Graphics, Altium)

Software development (C, C++, Python, Rust, Java)

Linux distributions

Job description

Electrical Engineer – Advancement in Homeland Sensors and Analytics

Date: Mar 4, 2026

Location: Lexington, MA, US

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Overview

The Homeland Sensors and Analytics Group builds technology to counter threats to critical infrastructure, land and maritime borders, transportation systems, and public places, enabling U.S. forces to disrupt transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. We focus on advanced sensors, AI and data analytics, and integrated human‑machine decision making. We prototype new sensor technologies and process a wide range of data types—including radar, video, imagery, text, point cloud, transactional, and body‑worn sensor data—to generate actionable insights. Our goal is to field solutions that greatly enhance the decision‑making process of analysts and operators who secure the homeland.

Responsibilities

The prototyping team seeks highly motivated engineers to solve challenging technical problems and build advanced technologies for DHS and DoD missions. The role supports the design, development, implementation, and testing of prototype systems, including circuit design, printed circuit board schematic and layout, hardware integration, and embedded systems. Candidates will work in a team‑oriented development environment on fast‑paced goals, requiring onsite office presence (3+ days/week) and occasional outdoor test environments. Travel up to ~15% of the time may be needed for field tests and sponsor visits.

Requirements

• Prototyping systems experience
• Strong written and oral communication
• Familiarity with electronics such as microcontrollers

Strong candidates will have experience in the following:

• Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design, including schematic capture and board layout tools (e.g., Mentor Graphics, Altium).
• Software or firmware development in one of: C, C++, Python, Rust, or Java.
• Familiarity with Linux distributions and command‑line interface.
• System‑level design, architecture, or trade studies.

Additional Requirements

Additional experience in one or more of the following is desired, but not required:

• RF engineering (radar, antennas, DSP).
• Low‑level communication protocols (SPI, I2C, UART).
• Unmanned systems (drone, rover) development or testing.
• FPGA integration and design (Verilog, VHDL).
• Low‑level drivers and firmware for microcontrollers (STM32, PIC16).
• Control of electromechanical systems (motors, servos, actuators).
• Mechanical design software (SolidWorks, Autodesk).
• Low‑SWaP (size, weight, power) designs.

Compensation

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $100,200 – $120,000

Experienced Hiring Range: $100,200 – $150,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered will depend on various factors, including scope and responsibilities, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT‑funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
• Mentorship programs
• A range of work‑life balance options
• … and much more!

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Eligibility

Selected candidates will be subject to a pre‑employment background investigation and must obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information. U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: 42784

Nearest Major Market: Boston

Job Segment: Electrical Engineering, Testing, Electronics Engineer, Security Clearance, Embedded, Engineering, Technology, Government