EMC Engineer

Powerus; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus is seeking an EMC Engineer to own electromagnetic compatibility across unmanned platforms and supporting equipment. The role involves planning and executing emissions and susceptibility testing from bench pre-compliance to accredited chamber campaigns, and translating results into concrete design changes with hardware, RF, propulsion, and integration engineers.

You will carry EMC requirements upstream so filtering, shielding, and grounding decisions are made early.

Qualifications

• Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Charlotte, NC, and able to work on-site.
• Degree in electrical engineering, physics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Understanding of electromagnetic coupling mechanisms, emissions and susceptibility phenomena, and grounding/shielding/filtering work.
• Hands-on measurement with spectrum analyzers, EMI receivers, near-field probes, LISNs, current probes, or comparable instrumentation.
• Ability to read schematics, layouts, and wiring diagrams to locate a coupling path.
• Experience troubleshooting real electrical or electronic hardware to root cause and verify fixes.
• U.S. Person status required due to ITAR- and EAR-controlled data.

Responsibilities

• Develop EMC test plans for platforms, subsystems, and support equipment against aviation and defense standards.
• Run bench-level pre-compliance testing and plan formal chamber testing with external laboratories.
• Diagnose EMI problems on real hardware and isolate source, coupling path, and victim.
• Specify shielding, filtering, grounding, bonding, and cable treatment remedies and verify fixes.
• Review schematics, board layouts, harness designs for EMC risk before release.
• Own EMC test reports and compliance documentation for internal and customer reviews.

Skills

Electrical engineering

EMC fundamentals

Schematic reading

RF measurement

Root cause analysis

On-site work

US Person status

Spectral analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Physics

Tools

EMI receivers

Near-field probes

LISNs

Current probes

Oscilloscopes

RF test equipment

Job description

Powerus is building a next-generation American autonomous systems platform designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-consequence environments. The company combines advanced autonomy, manufacturing capability, operational expertise, and strategic acquisitions to support defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and commercial operations globally.

Mission

Our mission is to deliver resilient autonomous technologies that strengthen national security, improve operational safety, and expand the capabilities of organizations operating in complex environments.

Why Join Powerus

An unmanned aircraft is a dense electromagnetic environment flying inside a hostile one. Motor drives switch hard next to a GNSS antenna, a datalink transmits a few inches from a flight computer, and the whole vehicle then has to operate near radars, jammers, and other emitters without degrading. A failed compliance chamber run late in a program is one of the most expensive discoveries a hardware team can make.

This role moves that discovery forward. You will bring EMC into the design phase with pre-compliance testing at the bench, own the test campaigns that prove the aircraft against customer and program standards, and work with the design teams on the shielding, filtering, and grounding changes the measurements demand.

Position Overview

Powerus is seeking an EMC Engineer to own electromagnetic compatibility across our unmanned platforms and their supporting equipment. This position requires U.S. Person status, as the work involves access to export-controlled technical data. You will plan and run emissions and susceptibility testing, from bench pre-compliance through accredited chamber campaigns, and translate the results into concrete design changes with hardware, RF, propulsion, and integration engineers. You will also carry EMC requirements upstream, so that filtering, shielding, and grounding decisions are made while they are still cheap. Expect time in the lab, at test houses, and on the aircraft.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop EMC test plans and requirements for platforms, subsystems, and support equipment against applicable aviation and defense standards
• Run bench-level pre-compliance testing - near-field probing, conducted and radiated emissions screening, and susceptibility injection - early enough to change a design
• Plan, support, and witness formal chamber testing for radiated and conducted emissions and susceptibility, and manage the relationship with external test laboratories
• Diagnose EMI problems on real hardware, isolating source, coupling path, and victim rather than treating symptoms
• Specify shielding, filtering, grounding, bonding, and cable treatment remedies, and verify that the implemented fix holds under test
• Review schematics, board layouts, harness designs, and enclosure concepts for EMC risk before they are released
• Investigate self-interference between motor drives, power converters, radios, and sensors on the integrated vehicle
• Own EMC test reports, evidence packages, and compliance documentation for internal review, customer review, and program milestones
• Maintain and improve in-house EMC test capability, including instrumentation, probes, chambers or test cells, and measurement practice

Qualifications

• Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Charlotte, NC, and able to work on-site
• Degree in electrical engineering, physics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Understanding of electromagnetic coupling mechanisms, emissions and susceptibility phenomena, and how grounding, shielding, and filtering actually work
• Hands-on measurement experience with spectrum analyzers, EMI receivers, near-field probes, LISNs, current probes, or comparable instrumentation
• Ability to read schematics, layouts, and wiring diagrams well enough to locate a coupling path in them
• Experience troubleshooting real electrical or electronic hardware to root cause, and verifying that a fix worked
• U.S. Person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)); this role involves access to ITAR- and EAR-controlled technical data

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with aviation and defense EMC standards such as MIL-STD-461, RTCA DO-160, or comparable customer specifications
• Experience taking a product through a formal compliance campaign, including failure, remediation, and retest
• Exposure to lightning, HIRF, ESD, or transient susceptibility requirements
• Background in RF measurement, antenna work, or spectrum management
• Experience applying EMC practice at the board and harness level, including filter design and shield termination
• Familiarity with electromagnetic simulation or modeling as a design-stage screening tool

What We Look For

We are looking for an engineer who treats EMC as physics rather than paperwork. The people who do this well can explain where a current is returning, are suspicious of a fix that works for reasons nobody can articulate, and would rather find the coupling path than add another ferrite. You should be comfortable telling a design team that their board is the source, patient enough to work through a test campaign methodically, and clear in writing, since the report is what the customer sees.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Powerus is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and mission-driven workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.