Senior Electrical Engineer (High Speed Digital)

Second Order Effects; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity (ISOs)

Equity (PIUs) in incubated companies

Health insurance (medical, dental, and

Paid time off + holidays

401(k) with company match

Relocation assistance

EV charging

Daily catered lunches

Job summary

Second Order Effects is seeking a High Speed Digital Electrical Engineer to work across client programs that demand hardware at the edge of what is commercially possible. You will own high-speed digital PCB design, signal integrity, and FPGA development across diverse programs, from space avionics to embedded computing platforms.

You will work with experienced engineers who have shipped flight hardware, gain direct client exposure, and contribute to the center of SOE's incubation model.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Math, or related field.
• 5+ years of applied engineering experience with a passion for technology development.
• Experience with high-speed test equipment: BERT, VNA, TDR, high-bandwidth oscilloscopes 20 GHz+, and logic analyzers.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills; ability to explain concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Systems-thinking approach connecting engineering execution to business strategy.
• Proven track record leading technical initiatives and mentoring engineers.
• Willingness to be deeply involved in both high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
• Willingness to work on-site in El Segundo, CA.

Responsibilities

• Support high speed electrical architecture from concept through investigation including trades, requirements, and component selection.
• Own signal integrity from component selection through layout and post-route verification: impedance control, diff-pair routing, crosstalk analysis, eye diagrams.
• Collaborate with power electronics engineers to design PDNs for ASICs/FPGAs and manage power budgets from system to regulator selection.
• Develop and execute high-speed board bring-up: BERT testing, TDR characterization, eye mask compliance, and EMC pre-compliance.
• Design in Altium; produce layout-ready packages with full documentation for contract manufacturing.
• Collaborate with clients to translate system requirements into board-level hardware specs; participate in PDR/CDR.
• Mentor junior engineers; contribute to internal reusable design patterns and documentation standards.

Job description

Company Overview

Second Order Effects started in 2016 as a services firm, taking on other companies’ hardest engineering problems from first principles. We grew into a solutions firm that designs and ships complete custom electronics and systems, including power electronics, RF, and control systems. We’ve completed over 250 projects for more than 100 clients. Our designs control rocket engines, manage satellite communications, instrument fusion reactors, and are enjoyed by consumers around the world.

Company Overview Continued

We approach problems from first principles. We break challenges down to their most fundamental components, which is how we find solutions that hold up across industries, use cases, and engineering functions. We focus on solving the right problems and building the teams to take them on. Because we believe that training and empowering others yields a greater impact than focusing on developing any specific technology, we expect every single member of our team to participate in building up those around them.

In the past year, we’ve started taking our own concepts and spinning them out into separate companies that we believe will meet the emerging needs of our clients and the industry at large. The work is concentrating in frontier technology, including space, fusion and fission energy, and advanced vehicles. We currently have two spinout companies in stealth that we’re working on.

Information about our mission, vision, and values can be found here.

Examples of the projects we have worked on can be found here.

Role Overview

We are looking for a High Speed Digital Electrical Engineer to work across client programs that demand hardware performing at the edge of what is commercially possible. This is a hands‑on design role. You will own high‑speed digital PCB design, signal integrity, and FPGA development across a range of programs – from space avionics and optical communication systems to power electronics and embedded computing platforms. No two programs are identical, and you will bring the same first–principles rigor to each one. You will work alongside engineers who have shipped flight hardware and know what it takes to close a design in a real program environment. You will have direct client exposure, ownership over your technical deliverables, and access to programs that rarely show up at larger firms. As SOE grows our incubation model, high‑speed digital engineering sits at the center of the most technically demanding programs we take on. This role is a direct line into that work.

Key Responsibilities

• Support high speed electrical architecture from concept generation through investigation including key trades, requirement definition, investigations and component selection.
• Own signal integrity from component selection and schematic capture through layout and post‑route simulation: impedance control, differential pair routing, crosstalk analysis, and eye diagram verification.
• Work with power electronics engineers to inform and design power delivery networks for high‑performance ASICs, FPGAs, and multi‑channel memory; close power budgets from system architecture through regulator selection and decoupling strategy.
• Develop and execute high‑speed board bring‑up: BERT testing, TDR characterization, eye mask compliance, and EMC pre‑compliance.
• Design in Altium; produce layout‑ready packages with full design rule documentation for contract manufacturing.

Space Qualification & EMI/EMC

• Incorporate environmental requirements across programs: radiation tolerance, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, and vacuum outgassing where applicable.
• Select and qualify components for space‑grade or radiation‑tolerant operation; manage parts lists and evaluate COTS mitigation strategies.
• Select and implement best design practices that minimize the down‑stream risk of test failures from EMI/EMC. Familiar with industry standards such as STD‑461, DO‑160, and MIL‑STD‑461.
• Author and maintain design specifications, interface control documents, and test procedures at the level demanding programs require.

Client & Team Collaboration

• Work directly with clients to translate system requirements into board‑level hardware specifications.
• Contribute to technical reviews (PDR, CDR) as both a presenter and reviewer across programs.
• Support junior engineers through design reviews and hands‑on mentorship.
• Contribute to SOE's internal body of knowledge: reusable design patterns, documentation standards, and lessons learned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Math, or related field)
• 5+ years of applied experience with a demonstrated passion for engineering and technology development
• Experience with high‑speed test equipment and debug tools: BERT, VNA, TDR, high‑bandwidth oscilloscopes (20 GHz+), and logic analyzers.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills; ability to explain technical concepts and their implications to non‑technical audiences.
• A systems‑thinking approach, with the ability to connect engineering execution to business strategy.
• A proven track record of leading technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and driving process improvements.
• A bias for action, thriving in a fast‑paced consulting environment where priorities can shift quickly.
• Willingness to be deeply involved in both high‑level strategy and hands‑on technical execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience
• Experience designing electronics for space‑qualified or radiation‑tolerant applications, including component derating, single‑event effects (SEE) analysis, or environmental test campaigns (thermal vacuum, vibration, shock)
• Familiarity with 400G/800G Ethernet architectures, PAM4 signaling, or co‑packaged optics interfaces
• Experience with power integrity analysis tools and multi‑phase VRM design for high‑current, fast‑transient loads
• Background in optical communication systems or the electrical interface between high‑speed digital hardware and analog RF or opto‑electronic signal chains
• EMI/EMC test experience to MIL‑STD‑461 or DO‑160
• Experience with business development, sales engineering, or technical sales to support the CEO in client engagements.
• Prior work in an engineering consulting or services‑based firm, understanding the nuances of client‑driven project work.
• Understanding of operations, finance, or project management, helping streamline engineering execution at a business level.
• A history of patents, publications, or open‑source contributions, demonstrating thought leadership in the field.

Additional Requirements

• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on‑site in El Segundo, California, USA
• Applicant must be eligible to work on ITAR projects
• Job Type: Full‑time (Salary)
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Compensation And Benefits

• Salary range dependent on leveling
  • Senior Engineer: $155,000 - $200,000
  • Staff Engineer: $195,000 - $235,000
  • Principal Engineer: $235,000 - $270,000
• Equity (via ISOs) in Second Order Effects, Inc.
• Equity (via PIUs) in our incubated companies (through our holding company, Second Order Holdings, LLC)
• 100% employer‑paid health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) for employees + 50% dependent coverage
• Flexible paid time off policy + 11 paid holidays + 12 paid sick days
• 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
• Up to 22 weeks of paid parental leave dedicated to new child bonding
• Relocation assistance available if 50+ miles away from the office
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging ports
• Daily catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply!

Second Order Effects is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SOE is governed on the basis of excellence 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.