Principal Electrical Engineer

Quantum Design; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Quantum Design in San Diego, CA seeks a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead analog and mixed-signal electronics for its advanced scientific instruments. You’ll define architectures, mentor a growing team, and ensure high-reliability design across challenging environments.

You will collaborate with firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems groups to deliver precise measurement systems and maintain product longevity through robust designs.

Qualifications

• Eight years of mixed-signal circuit board design experience spanning schematic design and board layout.
• Two years of leading and supervising technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead analog and mixed-signal electronics across instrument platforms.
• Define architectures for precision measurement systems from requirements to subsystems.
• Design precision analog and mixed-signal circuitry and validate with prototyping and testing.
• Develop grounding, shielding, isolation, and partitioning strategies for low-noise signals.
• Lead the electrical engineering team, set priorities, and mentor engineers.
• Collaborate with firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems engineers to meet requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex board and system issues and determine root causes.
• Own EMC and electrical safety compliance for new and existing products.
• Review digital, FPGA, and firmware designs to ensure coexistence with analog circuitry.
• Modernize designs to address obsolescence and improve manufacturability.
• Create technical documentation to be maintained long-term.
• Support manufacturing, quality, and service teams to resolve field issues.

Skills

Mixed-signal design

Schematic design

Board layout

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Engineering Physics or related discipline

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

For more than 40 years Quantum Design (QD) has been providing technology solutions to researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry, biotechnology, materials science, and nanotechnology. Established in 1982, Quantum Design is the leading commercial source for automated materials characterization systems offering a variety of measurement capabilities. QD instruments are found in the world's leading research institutions and have become the reference standard for a variety of magnetic and physical property measurements.

The Opportunity

As Principal Electrical Engineer, you will serve as the technical leader for analog and mixed signal electronics across our portfolio of advanced scientific instrumentation. This role will inherit and expand upon decades of engineering expertise, becoming the primary authority for the design, performance, and reliability of the electronics that power our world-class measurement systems.

As a hands-on technical leader, you will define system and circuit architectures, solve complex instrumentation challenges, and guide the development of precision electronics operating in demanding environments that combine ultra-low level signal measurement with high-speed digital systems, power electronics, and magnetic-field control. You will also lead and mentor a growing electrical engineering team, providing technical direction, design oversight, and knowledge transfer while remaining actively involved in design, troubleshooting, and product development.

This position is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys balancing deep technical problem solving with team leadership and is passionate about developing innovative electronics that enable cutting edge scientific research around the world.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical lead for analog and mixed-signal electronics across Quantum Design's instrument platforms
• Define board level and system level architectures for precision measurement systems, working from instrument performance requirements down to individual electronic subsystems
• Design precision analog and mixed-signal circuitry, including schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, testing, and design validation
• Develop grounding, shielding, isolation, and partitioning strategies that enable reliable measurement of low-level signals in electrically noisy environments
• Lead the electrical engineering team by setting priorities, reviewing designs, mentoring engineers, and helping develop technical talent within the group
• Work closely with firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems engineers to ensure new designs meet overall instrument requirements
• Troubleshoot complex board and system level issues, using targeted testing and analysis to identify root causes and implement effective solutions
• Own EMC and electrical safety compliance for new and existing products, including diagnosing and correcting issues uncovered during testing and certification activities
• Review digital, FPGA, and firmware designs to ensure they support overall system objectives and coexist successfully with sensitive analog circuitry
• Modernize existing designs by addressing component obsolescence, improving manufacturability, and extending product life while preserving proven performance
• Create clear technical documentation, including design decisions, analyses, test results, and implementation details that can be maintained and understood for years to come
• Support manufacturing, quality, and service teams in resolving production and field issues and improving overall product reliability

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Engineering Physics, or related discipline required
• Eight years of mixed-signal circuit board design experience spanning both schematic design and board layout
• Two years of leading and supervising technical teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Altium Designer
• Firmware development in C/C++ for microcontrollers across bare-metal, RTOS, and full-OS environments, plus PC-side test code for exercising instruments and their component circuits
• Experience coding and debugging HDL in an FPGA environment
• High-voltage (to ~20 kV), low-current (~µA) circuit design and dielectric isolation

Additional Information

• This position’s work mode is 100% onsite. The employee will report to our facility in San Diego, CA five days a week
• Salary Range: $150,000 - $215,000
• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, paid holidays, employee assistance program, and other company-sponsored benefits

Quantum Design is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions, policies and practices are in accordance with applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws. Quantum Design will not tolerate or engage in unlawful discrimination including any form of unlawful harassment, on account of a person's sex, age, race, color, religion, creed, sexual preference or orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, handicap, disability, or membership in any protected group.