Electrical Engineer - Vehicle Systems

Parallel Systems; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Parallel Systems, based in Los Angeles, is seeking an Electrical Engineer to design and develop vehicle electrical systems for autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles. This position will focus on safety-critical systems integrating with mechanical and software components.

The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, experience with power distribution, and thrive in cross-functional teams. The role includes hands-on testing and offers a salary range of $137,000 to $157,000 USD.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience with power distribution and control logic.
• Comfortable analyzing and troubleshooting system performance.
• Experience in full lifecycle development of electrical systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and development of vehicle electrical systems.
• Drive development of safety-critical subsystems and documentation.
• Lead end-to-end system integration and manage interfaces.

Skills

Power distribution

Control logic

Embedded communication protocols

CAD and design tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related discipline

Tools

SolidWorks

Altium

RapidHarness

Job description

Parallel Systems is pioneering autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles designed to transform freight transportation by shifting portions of the $900 billion U.S. trucking industry onto rail. Our innovative technology offers cleaner, safer, and more efficient logistics solutions. Join our dynamic team and help shape a smarter, greener future for global freight.

Electrical Engineer – Vehicle Systems

Parallel Systems is seeking an Electrical Engineer to own the design and development of vehicle electrical systems for our production autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles. This role focuses on vehicle electronics, including power distribution, traction & braking systems, safety-critical control logic, and compute/sensor networks. You’ll serve as the responsible engineer of high-reliability electrical systems that are tightly integrated with mechanical, software, and autonomy components and subject to regulatory oversight.

The ideal candidate brings automotive or vehicle experience, is eager to work on regulated, safety-critical systems, and thrives in cross‑functional environments.

This position requires up to 25% travel to our contract manufacturer and customer sites.

Responsibilities

• Own the design & development of vehicle electrical systems, including wiring harnesses, commercial-off-the-shelf hardware, and test stands
• Drive the development and documentation of safety‑critical subsystems, including DFMEAs, system hazard analyses, and verification & validation
• Perform hands‑on hardware bring‑up, bench testing, and debugging of electrical assemblies and prototype vehicles
• Lead end‑to‑end system integration with full lifecycle ownership, interface management, and cross‑functional alignment to ensure the system works with all software and mechanical dependencies
• Maintain accurate engineering documentation including schematics, BOMs, test reports, and change logs

What Success Looks Like

• 30 Days: You've built a strong understanding of the vehicle architecture, taken ownership of a subsystem, and are leading a concept review with the broader engineering organization
• 60 Days: You're hands‑on in your subsystem, driving progress. Testing and validation is fully defined and first articles are running in the lab
• 90 Days: You've completed initial design validation and are working with the manufacturing engineering team to bring your subsystem into production

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or related discipline
• 3+ years experience with power distribution, control logic, or embedded communication protocols (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, SPI)
• Comfortable working from first principles to analyze, troubleshoot, and validate system performance
• Experience with CAD and design tools such as SolidWorks, Altium, RapidHarness, or similar

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of exceptional ability (prior projects, portfolio of work, completed products, etc)
• Full lifecycle experience with electrical systems in automotive, rail, aerospace, or heavy industry
• Programming experience with Python, Rust, or C/C++
• Working knowledge of ISO 26262, ASIL, IEC 61508, or other functional safety frameworks
• Hands‑on experience designing, prototyping, integrating, and testing complex harnessing

Target Salary Range

$137,000 — $157,000 USD

Parallel Systems is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any discriminatory factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We work to build an inclusive environment in which all people can come to do their best work.

Parallel Systems is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Parallel Systems will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact your recruiter.