Lead Electrical Engineer

All Aviation Jobs

Boulder (CO)

On-site

USD 160,000 - 180,000

Full time

9 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, Vision and Dental Insurance

401(k)

Job summary

ThinkOrbital seeks a Lead Electrical Engineer in Boulder, CO, to own electrical architecture, design, integration, and testing for satellite payloads and drones. You will work with cross-disciplinary teams to deliver robust power and communication solutions.

The role requires 5+ years aerospace electrical design, PCB design in Altium, and hands-on board bring-up with lab equipment. In-person work with a fast-paced team advancing space systems.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
Minimum of 5 years experience in aerospace electrical design and implementation.
Proficiency in PCB design using Altium or equivalent tools.
Strong system-level electrical design experience (power distribution, grounding, noise mitigation).
Hands-on board bring-up and debugging with lab equipment.

Responsibilities

Lead design and development of satellite payload and drone electrical systems.
Create schematics and board layouts for avionics and flight electronics.
Perform electrical load analysis, derating, and worst-case analysis.
Define system communication architectures (SPI, I2C, Ethernet, LVDS).
Lead electrical integration and checkout during AI&T activities.
Develop electrical system test plans and support environmental tests.

Skills

PCB design

System-level design

Microcontroller programming

Lab bring-up & debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium

LTspice

MATLAB

PolarFire FPGA

Job description

Salary Range

From $160,000 to $180,000 depending on experience

Job Title

Lead Electrical Engineer

Location

Boulder, Colorado

Employment Type

Full-time

About ThinkOrbital

ThinkOrbital is developing breakthrough technologies to defend, service, and build in space. From pioneering autonomous welding in orbit to long-range X-ray imaging systems for space domain awareness and infrastructure inspection, we are redefining what’s possible in the final frontier. Our team is made up of driven engineers, scientists, and operators who thrive in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment.

Position Summary

We’re looking for an Electrical Engineer to join our team to be the lead contributor for our electrical architecture, design, integration, and testing. This role spans system-level power and communications design through hands-on bring-up and environmental testing, working closely with a cross-disciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of satellite payload and drone electrical systems, including:
Schematics and board layouts for avionics and flight electronics
Ground support and test equipment
Hands-on board bring-up, debugging, rework, and failure investigation
Perform electrical load analysis, component derating, and worst-case circuit analysis
Define and document system communication architectures (SPI, I2C, Ethernet, LVDS, etc.)
Define and document power distribution systems ranging from low voltage (<36V) through high-voltage subsystems (20kV - 150kV)
Lead and support electrical integration and checkout activities during AI&T
Develop and execute electrical system test plans and support major environmental tests (TVAC, vibration, EMC/EMI, etc.)
Interface closely with hardware, firmware, software, and program engineers to close design loops and resolve issues
Support technical documentation, ICD development, and flight configuration control

Mandatory Qualifications

Must be a US Citizen
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in aerospace electrical design and implementation
Proficiency in PCB design using Altium or equivalent tools
Strong experience in system-level electrical design (power distribution, grounding, noise mitigation)
Working knowledge of component derating and reliability practices
Hands-on experience with board bring-up and debugging using lab equipment (oscilloscopes, DMMs, power supplies, etc.)
Experience with soldering, rework, and documenting troubleshooting efforts
Familiarity with microcontroller programming (C/C++)
Strong understanding of space environment constraints (radiation, vacuum, vibration, thermal extremes)
Excellent communication and technical documentation skills
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, hands-on, team-oriented environment
Self-starter with strong ownership mentality — comfortable working independently and tackling ambiguous technical challenges