Electrical Engineer – Advanced Avionics Hardware

Nova Solvers; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation and sick leave

Paid company holidays

Performance incentives

Job summary

Nova Solvers in Torrance, CA seeks a mid-level Electrical Engineer – Advanced Avionics Hardware, focused on PCB and PCBA design to support spacecraft electronics and avionics. This hands-on role covers requirements, architecture, schematic design, PCB development, bring-up, debugging, integration, qualification, and production.

You will develop new PCBAs and products, evaluate technologies, and transition concepts from prototypes to repeatable hardware.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience designing, building, and testing electronic hardware.
• Direct experience with PCB and PCBA design, development, bring‑up, or production support.
• Strong proficiency with Altium Designer or similar PCB design tools for schematic capture and PCB development.
• Experience developing digital, mixed‑signal, embedded, sensor, communications, or power electronics.
• Solid understanding of PCB design fundamentals including grounding, power distribution, controlled impedance, EMI/EMC, manufacturability, and testability.
• Experience with PCB fabrication houses, contract manufacturers, or electronics suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop printed circuit boards for spacecraft, payload, avionics, power, communications, sensor, and test applications.
• Develop analog, digital, mixed‑signal, embedded, and power electronics.
• Develop schematics, select components, define interfaces, and support PCB layout and release.
• Work with PCB layout resources to define stackups, routing constraints, controlled impedance, grounding, power distribution, EMI/EMC considerations, and manufacturability requirements.
• Describe and integrate FPGA, SoC, processor, memory, sensor, communications, and peripheral circuitry.
• Support development of power conversion, switching, monitoring, protection, and distribution electronics.
• Evaluate signal integrity, power integrity, thermal constraints, component derating, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Develop new PCBAs, electronic products, and reusable hardware architectures that expand Nova Solvers’ electronics portfolio.

Skills

PCB/PCBA design

Electrical engineering fundamentals

Analog/digital/mixed-signal

FPGA/SoC interfaces

Hardware troubleshooting

Education

B.S./M.S. in Electrical/Computer/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

About Nova Solvers

Nova Solvers is an advanced engineering company developing spacecraft, avionics, sensing systems, autonomous technologies, and mission‑critical solutions for commercial, civil, defense, and national security customers. Our team specializes in transforming complex challenges into innovative, high-performance systems that operate in the most demanding environments.

About Nova Solvers

Nova Solvers is an advanced engineering company developing spacecraft, avionics, sensing systems, autonomous technologies, and mission‑critical solutions for commercial, civil, defense, and national security customers. Our team specializes in transforming complex challenges into innovative, high-performance systems that operate in the most demanding environments.

We are passionate about building technologies that enable the next generation of space missions and defense capabilities.

The Role

Nova Solvers is seeking a mid-level Electrical Engineer – Advanced Avionics Hardware with a strong focus on PCB and PCBA design to support the development of spacecraft electronics, payload electronics, avionics, test hardware, and mission‑enabling electrical systems.

A key part of this position will be helping expand Nova Solvers’ electronics offerings and develop new technical capabilities. The engineer will develop new PCBAs and electronic products, evaluate new technologies and architectures, and help transition concepts from early prototypes into reliable, producible hardware.

This is a hands‑on role spanning the full hardware development lifecycle, including requirements definition, architecture, schematic design, PCB development, board bring‑up, debugging, integration, qualification, and production.

The ideal candidate combines strong electrical engineering fundamentals with practical PCB development experience, enjoys building and troubleshooting hardware, and is motivated by the opportunity to create new products and capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop printed circuit boards for spacecraft, payload, avionics, power, communications, sensor, and test applications.
• Develop analog, digital, mixed‑signal, embedded, and power electronics.
• Develop schematics, select components, define interfaces, and support PCB layout and release.
• Work with PCB layout resources to define stackups, routing constraints, controlled impedance, grounding, power distribution, EMI/EMC considerations, and manufacturability requirements.
• Design and integrate FPGA, SoC, processor, memory, sensor, communications, and peripheral circuitry.
• Support development of power conversion, switching, monitoring, protection, and distribution electronics.
• Evaluate signal integrity, power integrity, thermal constraints, component derating, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Develop new PCBAs, electronic products, and reusable hardware architectures that expand Nova Solvers’ electronics portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to turn customer requirements, mission needs, and internal technologies into new hardware products and capabilities.
• Evaluate new components, technologies, architectures, and design approaches for future spacecraft and defense electronics.
• Take early concepts from feasibility and prototyping through engineering development, qualification, and production.
• Develop reusable circuit designs, interfaces, reference architectures, test methods, and hardware building blocks that accelerate future programs.
• Perform board bring‑up, electrical checkout, functional testing, debugging, and failure analysis on prototype and production electronics.
• Develop and execute test procedures for PCBAs, electrical assemblies, harnesses, and integrated systems.
• Perform hands‑on troubleshooting using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, electronic loads, digital multimeters, and other laboratory equipment.
• Support electrical integration, anomaly resolution, root‑cause investigations, and corrective actions.
• Support environmental qualification activities including vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, and EMI/EMC testing.
• Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Testability (DFT) principles.
• Collaborate with PCB fabrication houses, contract manufacturers, component suppliers, and internal manufacturing teams to transition designs into production.
• Review fabrication and assembly outputs and resolve technical issues affecting yield, quality, reliability, or performance.
• Support component obsolescence, alternate part selection, and supply‑chain challenges.
• Work closely with firmware, software, mechanical, systems, manufacturing, and test teams to develop and validate integrated hardware solutions.
• Generate and maintain schematics, BOMs, block diagrams, interface documentation, test procedures, verification reports, and engineering documentation.
• Support configuration management, engineering change control, quality processes, and electrical design standards.
• Help develop and improve Nova Solvers’ internal PCB design, analysis, test, manufacturing, and electronics development capabilities.

What We Look For

We are looking for engineers who take ownership, enjoy building hardware, and are excited by challenging technical problems.

Successful candidates combine strong electrical engineering fundamentals with practical execution. They should be comfortable moving between schematic design, PCB development, the laboratory, manufacturing, environmental testing, and system integration.

We are particularly interested in engineers who want to do more than execute existing designs. This role provides the opportunity to introduce new technologies, develop new products, establish reusable architectures, and help shape the future of Nova Solvers’ electronics portfolio.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3–7 years of experience designing, building, and testing electronic hardware.
• Direct experience with PCB and PCBA design, development, bring‑up, or production support.
• Strong proficiency with Altium Designer or similar PCB design tools for schematic capture and PCB development.
• Experience developing digital, mixed‑signal, embedded, sensor, communications, or power electronics.
• Solid understanding of PCB design fundamentals including grounding, power distribution, controlled impedance, EMI/EMC, manufacturability, and testability.
• Experience selecting electronic components and interpreting component datasheets and application requirements.
• Strong hands‑on laboratory troubleshooting, debugging, and hardware validation experience.
• Experience using oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, logic analyzers, power supplies, electronic loads, and related laboratory equipment.
• Understanding of PCB fabrication and PCBA assembly processes.
• Experience working with PCB fabrication houses, contract manufacturers, or electronics suppliers.
• Ability to develop and maintain schematics, BOMs, test procedures, interface documentation, and engineering records.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, communication, and documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing electronics for spacecraft, aerospace, defense, launch vehicles, robotics, or other high‑reliability applications.
• Experience with spacecraft avionics, payload electronics, power electronics, FPGA/SoC support circuitry, embedded systems, or sensor electronics.
• Strong proficiency with Altium Designer.
• Experience with high‑speed digital interfaces such as Ethernet, LVDS, RS‑422/485, PCIe, SPI, I2C, or similar.
• Experience with signal integrity and power integrity analysis.
• Familiarity with radiation‑tolerant and radiation‑hardened electronics.
• Experience with component derating, fault tolerance, redundancy, or reliability analysis.
• Experience supporting vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, EMI/EMC, and qualification testing.
• Familiarity with MIL‑STD, NASA, ECSS, IPC, or aerospace design standards.
• Experience developing automated test equipment or electrical ground support equipment.
• Experience transitioning PCBAs from prototypes into repeatable production or flight hardware.
• Familiarity with configuration management, requirements management, and engineering release processes.
• Prior experience supporting NASA, DoD, intelligence community, or commercial spacecraft programs.
• Active U.S. Security Clearance.

What We Offer

At Nova Solvers, you’ll work alongside experienced engineers developing advanced technologies that support some of the most challenging missions in space and defense.

We provide an environment where engineers can take ownership of hardware, develop new ideas, work directly with manufacturing and test, and see designs progress from an initial concept to finished hardware.

Compensation And Benefits

• Competitive salary ranging from $120,000 to $180,000 based on experience, qualifications, and demonstrated expertise.
• Performance‑based incentive opportunities.
• 100% employer‑paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• Company‑sponsored 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Paid company holidays.
• Work alongside industry‑leading engineers developing advanced space and defense technologies.

Work Environment

This position is primarily onsite and involves PCB and electrical design, laboratory testing, hardware integration, manufacturing support, and environmental qualification activities.

Candidates should be comfortable working directly with hardware in engineering laboratories, production environments, and spacecraft integration facilities.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to do more than support individual engineering programs. You will help build and expand Nova Solvers’ advanced electronics capabilities.

Your work will contribute to new avionics, payload electronics, spacecraft hardware, test systems, and reusable technologies that can become the foundation for future products and missions.

You will have the opportunity to take new hardware from an idea on a whiteboard through schematic design, PCB fabrication, board bring‑up, qualification, production, and ultimately deployment.

Our Vision and Values

We believe that innovation happens when talented people are empowered to solve difficult problems. Our culture is built on technical excellence, integrity, ownership, collaboration, and a commitment to delivering solutions that matter.

We Care Deeply About

• Mission Success
• Technical Excellence
• Innovation and Continuous Learning
• Integrity and Accountability
• Teamwork and Respect
• Delivering Real‑World Impact

Location

Torrance, California

This position is primarily onsite to support hardware development, laboratory testing, manufacturing, integration, and qualification activities.

Security & Export Control

To comply with U.S. Government export control regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required U.S. Government authorizations.

This position may require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance. Positions requiring a U.S. Security Clearance require U.S. citizenship.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Nova Solvers is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and inclusion. We value diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds and believe they strengthen our ability to innovate and solve complex challenges.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.