Electrical Engineer - Spaceflight Design

Analytical Mechanics Associates Inc.; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Tuition reimbursement

Disability plans

Health insurance

Job summary

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) seeks a Lead Electrical Design Engineer to mentor a team of engineers and drive electronic designs from concept to manufacturing for flight missions.

Responsibilities include circuit design, harnessing, integration of cameras and sensors, and collaboration with vendors. Proficiency in Altium Designer and PSPICE is expected, with strong communication skills and a passion for space hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 3–5+ years in electronic design and development.
• Experience with SPICE-based tools.
• Strong written and oral communication.
• Spaceflight hardware experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electronic circuits including power, amplifiers, DACS, and high-speed mixed-signal designs.
• Develop intra-system harnessing and integrate sensors and computational components.
• Integrate cameras, lasers, GPS, data storage, and science instrumentation.
• Modify designs to meet mission requirements for computational camera systems.
• Use Altium Designer for circuit design and PSPICE for simulation.
• Coordinate PCB fabrication with external vendors and assist board population.
• Perform functional testing, troubleshooting, and assembly of electronic systems.
• Collaborate with avionics leads, FPGA designers, and electronics engineers.

Skills

Circuit design

SPICE tooling

Altium Designer

System integration

Manufacturing & assembly

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

PSPICE

Job description

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is seeking a highly motivated Lead Electrical Design Engineer. The ideal candidate will be a hands‑on Engineer leading and mentoring a team of Electrical Engineers who play a critical role in designing, developing, and integrating VHDL modules for cutting‑edge projects.

This position requires a self‑starter who thrives in a collaborative environment and is capable of following designs through the entire lifecycle—from concept to manufacturing, assembly, and testing. The role involves working closely with multidisciplinary teams, including scientists, project managers, and engineers from various branches, to deliver high‑quality solutions for flight missions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop electronic circuits, from the component perspective, including power systems, amplifiers, DACS, high speed digital, and mixed signal designs
• Design and develop intra‑system harnessing
• Integrate cameras, lasers, data storage, computational systems, and science instrumentation into designs
• Modify and adapt designs to meet specific mission requirements for computational camera systems
• Utilize Altium Designer for circuit design and PSPICE for simulation
• Collaborate with external vendors for PCB fabrication and perform board population as needed
• Conduct functional testing, troubleshooting, and assembly of electronic systems
• Collaborate with a team of engineers from the Electronics Systems Branch, including avionics leads, FPGA designers, and electronic designers
• Integrate cameras, GPS modules, and data‑saving systems into designs.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related field.
• 3-5+ years of experience in electronic design and development, specifically using Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) software tools
• Familiarity with Altium Designer for circuit design, and PSPICE for simulation, or similar design and simulation tools.
• Hands‑on experience with circuit design, simulation, and integration
• Familiarity with manufacturing and assembly processes for electronic systems
• Candidates must possess strong written and oral communication skills
• The role is oriented toward delivery for flight missions and requires adaptability to evolving requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Altium Designer and PSPICE simulation tools
• Strong integration skills, particularly with cameras, GPS, and data‑saving systems.
• Familiarity with PCB fabrication processes and board population
• Strong integration skills, particularly with cameras, lasers, data storage, computational systems, and science instrumentation
• Ability to troubleshoot, test, and characterize electronic systems
• Hands‑on experience with lab equipment, such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and logic analyzers
• Prior experience with spaceflight hardware is a plus, but not required
• Knowledge of Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) systems and their modifications for various missions is advantageous.

This position requires U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

AMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.