Electrical Engineer

Society of Defense Financial Management; Sterling, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Society of Defense Financial Management in Northern Virginia invites an early-career Electrical Engineer to join a fast-paced defense tech team working on autonomous aerial systems. You will gain hands-on exposure across power, sensors, wiring, PCB design, and field testing, moving from requirements to in-field hardware.

Work alongside senior engineers in a hands-on lab and field environment; travel up to 25% for live tests, with security clearance pursued as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of electrical design, test, or integration experience.
• US Citizenship with the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and test PCBs from requirements under senior engineers.
• Prototype circuits using soldering, testing equipment, and environmental chambers.
• Design wiring harnesses and route cabling in complex aircraft.
• Analyze RF links for throughput performance.
• Design and run tests from bench to live flight tests.
• Coordinate with mechanical and software teams for flight test instrumentation.
• Maintain schematics, BOMs, and design documentation; support reviews.
• Assist with failure analysis on field returns and peer reviews.
• Maintain test equipment and lab organization.
• Travel up to 25% to customer sites and field locations.

Skills

Analog & digital circuits

PCB design

Lab bench work

Altium

KiCad

US Citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/ Electronics Engineering

Tools

Altium

KiCad

Job description

About this Position:

This is a rare chance for an early-career Electrical Engineer to work on autonomous aerial systems that fly in the stratosphere and support U.S. national security missions. Working alongside senior and staff EEs in a fast-moving, venture-backed defense tech team, you'll get hands-on exposure across the full electrical stack: power distribution, sensor integration, wiring harnesses, PCB design, and bench and field testing. You'll take designs from requirements to fab house, have the boards in your hands days later, and watch them fly weeks after that. This is an in-person role based in Northern Virginia, built for an engineer who wants breadth, ownership, and to see their work leave the lab and go to the field.

Job Responsibilities:

• Turn product requirements into working hardware, designing, building, and testing PCBs under the guidance of senior engineers
• Build and debug prototype circuits using soldering, pick-and-place, oscilloscopes, VNAs, spectrum analyzers, thermal imaging, and environmental chambers
• Design wiring harnesses, select connectors, and route cabling inside complex aircraft and advanced platforms
• Analyze and test RF links for throughput performance
• Design and run tests across a range of systems and environments, from the bench to live flight tests
• Support electrical integration with mechanical and software teams, including flight test instrumentation setup and post-test data collection
• Conduct trade studies on state-of-the-art technologies and industry best practices
• Maintain accurate schematics, BOMs, and design documentation, and support design reviews and component sourcing
• Assist with failure analysis on field returns and learn to peer review other engineers' work
• Help maintain test equipment, fixtures, and lab organization
• Travel up to 25% to customer sites and field test locations, including austere and military operational environments

Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field
• 2 to 4 years of industry experience in electrical design, test, or integration
• Working knowledge of analog and digital circuit fundamentals
• Hands-on experience with PCB design tools such as Altium, KiCad, or equivalent
• Comfortable working in a hands-on lab and bench environment
• US Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance
• Desirable: experience in aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability industries
• Desirable: exposure to embedded systems or sensor integration
• Desirable: startup or small-company experience and familiarity with relevant military standards