Principal Electrical Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Employee assistance program

Company-sponsored benefits

Job summary

Quantum Design is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead analog and mixed-signal electronics across our measurement instruments in a 100% onsite role in San Diego, CA. You will define architectures, design precision circuitry, and mentor a growing team while solving challenging problems in noisy environments.

You will collaborate with firmware, FPGA, software, and mechanical teams to ensure overall instrument performance and reliability, and oversee testing, validation, and

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Define board level and system level architectures for precision measurement systems.
• Design precision analog and mixed-signal circuitry (schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, testing).
• Develop grounding, shielding, isolation, and partitioning strategies for low-level signals in noisy environments.
• Lead the electrical engineering team, set priorities, review designs, mentor engineers.
• Collaborate with firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems engineers to meet instrument requirements.
• Troubleshoot complex issues, perform targeted testing to identify root causes and solutions.
• Own EMC and electrical safety compliance, diagnose issues from testing and certification.
• Modernize designs to address obsolescence and improve manufacturability.
• Create detailed design documentation for long-term maintenance.

Skills

Mixed-signal design

Schematic design

PCB layout

EMC testing

Electrical safety

Altium Designer

Firmware C/C++

FPGA HDL

High-voltage design

Mentoring/leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

About Quantum DesignFor 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.Job Description:The OpportunityAs 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.ResponsibilitiesServe as the senior technical lead for analog and mixed-signal electronics across Quantum Design's instrument platformsDefine board level and system level architectures for precision measurement systems, working from instrument performance requirements down to individual electronic subsystemsDesign precision analog and mixed-signal circuitry, including schematic capture, PCB layout, prototyping, testing, and design validationDevelop grounding, shielding, isolation, and partitioning strategies that enable reliable measurement of low-level signals in electrically noisy environmentsLead the electrical engineering team by setting priorities, reviewing designs, mentoring engineers, and helping develop technical talent within the groupWork closely with firmware, FPGA, software, mechanical, and systems engineers to ensure new designs meet overall instrument requirementsTroubleshoot complex board and system level issues, using targeted testing and analysis to identify root causes and implement effective solutionsOwn EMC and electrical safety compliance for new and existing products, including diagnosing and correcting issues uncovered during testing and certification activitiesReview digital, FPGA, and firmware designs to ensure they support overall system objectives and coexist successfully with sensitive analog circuitryModernize existing designs by addressing component obsolescence, improving manufacturability, and extending product life while preserving proven performanceCreate clear technical documentation, including design decisions, analyses, test results, and implementation details that can be maintained and understood for years to comeSupport manufacturing, quality, and service teams in resolving production and field issues and improving overall product reliabilityMinimum QualificationsBachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Engineering Physics, or related discipline requiredEight years of mixed-signal circuit board design experience spanning both schematic design and board layoutTwo years of leading and supervising technical teamsPreferred QualificationsExperience with Altium DesignerFirmware 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 circuitsExperience coding and debugging HDL in an FPGA environmentHigh-voltage (to ~20 kV), low-current (~µA) circuit design and dielectric isolationAdditional InformationThis position’s work mode is 100% onsite. The employee will report to our facility in San Diego, CA five days a weekSalary Range: $150,000 - $215,000Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, paid holidays, employee assistance program, and other company-sponsored benefitsQuantum 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.