Senior Electrical Engineer — Industrial Controls & UxS

ARA; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. in Arlington, VA seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer to design, integrate and develop controls for large industrial machinery and unmanned systems on defense-related programs.

The ideal candidate will bridge electrical engineering, controls integration, and PCB/wire harness design, owning scope from concept through commissioning on programs for federal defense customers. On-site work with hybrid eligibility after 6 months; travel to Indian Head, MD required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of electrical engineering experience with industrial equipment integration and controls.
• Hands-on experience with wiring diagrams, schematics, and control panel design.
• Experience with Allen Bradley PLCs and equipment automation.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).

Responsibilities

• Design electrical systems for large industrial machinery and process equipment, including power distribution and equipment-level control architecture.
• Develop and integrate controls for automated equipment (PLC/HMI programming, control panel design, interlocks, and safety circuits).
• Produce wiring diagrams, schematics, and electrical design packages for equipment integration projects.
• Support smaller-scale electronics scope, including PCB design and layout for subsystems.
• Design wire harnesses for unmanned systems and drone hardware.
• Coordinate with mechanical and process engineering teams to ensure integration.
• Support vendor coordination, FAT, and commissioning activities.
• Prepare technical documentation and design deliverables per requirements.
• Support proposal efforts with technical input and LOE estimates.

Skills

Wiring diagrams

Electrical schematics

Control panel design

Allen-Bradley PLC programming

Industrial equipment integration

On-site support

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PCB design and layout

Hazardous area/intrinsically safe design

Job description

Applied Research Associates, Inc. in Arlington, VA seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer to design, integrate and develop controls for large industrial machinery and unmanned systems on defense-related programs.

The ideal candidate will bridge electrical engineering, controls integration, and PCB/wire harness design, owning scope from concept through commissioning on programs for federal defense customers. On-site work with hybrid eligibility after 6 months; travel to Indian Head, MD required.