Principal Electrical Engineer

i3; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) in Huntsville, AL seeks a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead circuit board design and system-level integration for military hardware.

You will design, test, and validate boards and embedded systems across DSP, FPGA, and mixed-signal domains, collaborating with cross-functional teams and external partners. The role emphasizes research, development and integration of complex electrical components within fast-paced programs requiring strong communication and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related; ABET-accredited.
• 12–17 years of relevant technical experience.
• Experience developing robust software, firmware and hardware solutions.
• PCB/PCBA design and analysis and FPGA/embedded designs.
• Ability to generate architectural design block diagrams from firmware.

Responsibilities

• Execute full product lifecycle from concept to delivery and support.
• Analyze and document circuits, boards, and firmware functions and interfaces.
• Develop system architecture and block diagrams; validate with COTS or custom configurations.
• Develop hardware, firmware, and software solutions including PCB/layouts and BOMs.
• Coordinate with fabrication/assembly vendors and support board bring-up and testing.
• Perform root-cause analysis and design revisions through release.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and customers to meet requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

C/C++ low-level programming

System architecture

DSP knowledge

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Multi-tasking under pressure

Education

ABET-accredited Bachelor's in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

Overview i3 is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to support circuit board development and broader military system modernization efforts. The role will involve the research, design, development, integration, and testing of circuit boards and other electrical components, equipment, systems, and networks. Work will span software, firmware, digital, analog, mixed-signal, power, FPGA, and embedded applications, with a primary emphasis on circuit board design and system-level integration. This position provides the opportunity to contribute to a variety of technically challenging projects while working closely with engineers, project managers, technicians, fabrication partners, and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Execute in a fast-paced, small-team environment throughout the product life cycle, from conceptual development and detailed design through fabrication, testing, delivery, and post-delivery support.
• Analyze and document existing circuit boards, electrical systems, and firmware, including their functions, components, power requirements, communication paths, and system interfaces.
• Develop system architecture and functional block diagrams from existing hardware and firmware designs, and use point-to-point or commercial off-the-shelf configurations to validate requirements when appropriate.
• Develop robust software, firmware, and hardware solutions, including circuit and PCB/PCBA design and analysis, component selection, analog and digital interface design, FPGA logic, and embedded processor or microcontroller designs.
• Develop replacement board architectures, schematics, PCB layouts, bills of materials, fabrication and assembly files, and supporting technical documentation.
• Conduct technical trade studies, evaluate technology improvements, and apply working knowledge of digital signal processing and communication protocols to system and interface design.
• Coordinate with fabrication and assembly vendors and support board bring-up, bench testing, aircraft and system integration, troubleshooting, flight-test or live-fire activities, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and design revisions through final release.
• Partner with multidisciplinary teams and customers to develop solutions that meet technical, operational, cost, and schedule requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications Required Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution. Additional experience may substitute for degree.
• 12-17 years of relevant technical experience
• Experience developing robust software, firmware and hardware solutions
• Experience performing circuit and PCB/PCBA design and analysis, FPGA designs, embedded processor/microcontroller designs.
• Ability to generate architectural design block diagrams from existing firmware designs.
• General knowledge of DSP coding and communication protocols.
• Experience with checkout, debug and troubleshooting of electronic printed circuit board assemblies comprising embedded hardware and firmware.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with instrumentation, test equipment, and debug/test methods for both software and hardware.
• Proficient in programming C/C++ low level algorithms
• Motivated self-starter and problem solver with experience executing in multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance
• U.S. citizenship required

Preferred Experience:

• Ability to design, analyze, or interpret RF signal chains and/or six-degree-of-freedom computational paths across digital, analog, and embedded system architectures.
• Master's degree in Computer or Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution.
• Familiarity with electronic safe and arm components and design for munitions.
• Proficiency using Altium Designer software is a plus.
• Interfacing to sensors and high speed mixed-signal components.
• Active secret clearance.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of office administration and procedures.
• Exceptional judgment capabilities and relationship management skills.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and client service skills; ability to clearly communicate in discussions and written documents, and to deliver feedback clearly and tactfully.
• Interact with a diverse array of customers and staff in a professional and courteous manner.
• Work independently with accountability for accurate and complete results.
• Be extremely organized and exceptionally detail oriented.
• Work well both independently and in a team environment.
• Be energized by a fast-paced work environment.
• Must be able to communicate with others effectively.
• Analyze information and respond appropriately.
• Manage time wisely and prioritize tasks.
• Provide superior customer service.
• Multi-task in a pleasant manner.
• Work well under pressure.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Regular i3 hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, however, additional hours may be required on occasion. Regular and punctual attendance is required.

About i3

Founded in 2007, Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) is headquartered in Huntsville, AL, with additional offices in Orlando, FL, and the National Capital Region. We are a 100% team member-owned mid-tier integrator with over 800 employee-owners, and our culture speaks for itself: we've earned ten Best Places to Work® awards, driven by strong employee engagement, transparent leadership, and a genuine commitment to communication.i3 team members operate at the leading edge of national defense across a broad range of technical disciplines, from systems and software engineering to modeling, simulation, and training solutions to cybersecurity, digital engineering, and enterprise IT. We also take products from prototype through production, bringing that same engineering rigor to manufacturing and delivering hardware at scale. For candidates, that means a rare opportunity: the innovation and mission focus of an engineering services company paired with the hands‑on impact of building and delivering real solutions that benefit the Warfighter, all inside an employee‑owned company where your contributions directly shape both the mission and your ownership stake in the business.