Principal Electrical Engineer (Hardware Design)

Freeform; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance (Medical, Dental, VD)

Life insurance

401(k) - traditional and Roth

Relocation assistance

Paid vacation, sick leave, holidays

Parental leave

Daily catered lunch and dinner

Casual dress

Flexible work hours

Job summary

Freeform is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to design and develop custom electronics and compute systems for AI-native metal 3D printing factories. You will lead cradle-to-grave hardware projects, guide electrical architecture, select components, and optimize high-performance compute and motion-control systems.

The role emphasizes first-principles problem solving, collaboration across disciplines, and contributing to the rapid growth of a cutting-edge hardware-first company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or related engineering discipline.
• 15+ years of experience designing and delivering complex electrical hardware.
• Must take a first-principles approach to problem solving.
• Experience as technical lead and system owner across full lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Rapidly design, develop and test reliable electronics and compute systems for autonomous systems.
• Serve as senior engineer driving technical direction, architecture, component selection and testing.
• Challenge assumptions and learn new design approaches.
• Drive component selection, schematic capture, prototyping, bring-up, debugging and manufacturing.
• Hands-on debugging with lab equipment and instrumentation.
• Model and simulate circuit designs for analysis and performance.
• Act as technical lead, driving schedule and maintaining innovation pace.

Skills

First-principles thinking

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related

Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in electrical engineering

Tools

FPGA

GPU

Mixed architectures

Job description

PRINCIPAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER (HARDWARE DESIGN)

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation.

By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.

As a Principal Electrical Engineer at Freeform, you will play an integral role in the design and development of custom electronics and compute systems that bring our AI-native metal 3D printing factory systems to life. You will solve challenging problems in fields such as high-performance compute, high speed communications, embedded hardware, motion control, autonomous robotic systems, and much more. You will use a first principles approach to solving problems and tackling new areas within electrical engineering that you may not have directly worked on before. The ideal candidate is capable of running projects from cradle to grave, acting as a technical lead, and has the ability to work effectively with other engineering disciplines.

3D printing experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative engineers who love solving hard problems and creating amazing technology!

Responsibilities

• Rapidly design, develop and test highly reliable electronics and compute systems that enable complex autonomous systems to perform reliability, repeatedly, and scalable
• Serve as the senior engineer on the team, driving technical direction, electrical architecture, product requirements, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, prototyping, bring-up, debugging, documentation, productization, manufacturing, and testing
• Challenge assumptions and learn new design approaches
• Drive component selection, analysis, schematic capture, prototyping, bring-up, debugging, documentation, manufacturing, and test
• Hands‑on debugging of the unexpected via the use of laboratory test equipment, custom instrumentation, and testing setups
• Model and simulate circuit designs for analysis and performance
• Act as a technical lead, driving schedule and ensuring a continuous rate of innovation

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or similar engineering discipline
• 15+ years of professional experience designing and delivering complex electrical hardware
• Broad electrical engineering background; well versed in electrical engineering fundamentals and comfortable taking a first-principles approach to solving problems
• Experience operating as a technical lead and system owner, responsible for architectural decisions, execution quality, and technical accountability across the full lifecycle

Nice to Have

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in electrical engineering
• Experience with heterogeneous compute environments, including FPGA, GPU, and mixed architecture systems, with the ability to make thoughtful tradeoffs across performance, latency, and system complexity.
• Experience with sensors, high speed cameras/imaging systems, and similar physical telemetry systems
• Experience with embedded microcontroller design and firmware
• Experience with high-speed data acquisition systems, high-accuracy motion systems, high-speed scanning systems, optomechanical assemblies, and complex electromechanical systems
• Familiarity with industrial automation technologies and robotics

Location

• Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility brings technology development, R&D, and production together under one roof. We operate at the center of LA’s deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardware innovation happening anywhere in the country.
• Our fast-paced, cross-functional environment is built on close collaboration, and as such, this role requires full-time onsite presence (five days a week), with very limited exceptions.

What We Offer

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions.
• We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world-changing technology.
• Benefits
  • Significant stock option packages
  • 100% employer-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (premium PPO and HMO options)
  • Life insurance
  • Traditional and Roth 401(k)
  • Relocation assistance provided
  • Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays
  • Generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent
  • Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and fully stocked kitchenette
  • Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events
• Compensation
  • Our intent is to offer a salary that is commensurate for the company’s current stage of development and allows the employee to grow and develop within a role.
  • In addition to the significant stock option package, the estimated salary range for this role is $250,000-$400,000. However this is a uniquely impactful role and we are open to discussing compensation packages outside of this range for the right person.
• Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.