Senior Electrical Engineer- Space

Vector Atomic; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 186,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Platinum-level health coverage

Employer 401(k) contributions

Paid time off & holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company in Pleasanton, CA, seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer to lead the design of electronics for next‑gen quantum sensors used in Low Earth Orbit. You will own end‑to‑end PCB development and contribute across firmware, RTL, mechanical, and optical teams.

The role emphasizes radiation‑tolerant design, high‑reliability space hardware, and collaboration with physicists. 6+ years in space electronics and a strong foundation in high‑speed PCB practices are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field with 6+ years experience
• Master’s degree with 3+ years experience is acceptable for the role

Responsibilities

• Lead high‑level electrical architecture for next‑gen quantum sensors for LEO missions
• Own end‑to‑end PCB development: requirements, schematic, layout, fabrication, verification
• Translate system requirements into detailed electronic designs with cross‑functional teams
• Design and adapt circuits for reliable operation in LEO radiation/thermal environments
• Collaborate with firmware/RTL/mechanical/optical engineers on designs
• Build environmental test plans simulating LEO conditions and evaluate reliability

Skills

Electrical design

Space electronics

RF & mixed-signal

Radiation effects

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

LTSpice

Oscilloscopes

VNAs

Job description

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world’s most complex problems. IonQ’s newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025.

The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world’s most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ’s advancements in quantum networking position the company as a leader in building the quantum internet.

About Vector Atomic

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is building quantum technology to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. Our team of engineers, scientists, software developers, and operations professionals works together to solve complex challenges and turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. We value collaboration, curiosity, and diverse perspectives, and we give every team member the opportunity to make an immediate impact while growing their skills. If you’re excited to work on breakthrough technology in a fast-paced, hands-on environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Location: Pleasanton, California, United States
Travel: Up to 20%, domestic or international.

The Role

We’re looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to join a multidisciplinary team of physicists and electrical, mechanical, software, and optical engineers designing next-generation quantum sensors for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions.

This is a newly created, high-impact role central to our space sensor programs. You’ll lead the design of advanced electronics, specifying, designing, characterizing, and testing PCB assemblies with FPGA, MCU, mixed-signal, and RF architectures, built to meet the demanding reliability and environmental requirements of spaceflight.

You’ll join a growing electronics team of engineers, reporting to our Engineering Director, with close daily collaboration across firmware, RTL, mechanical, and optical disciplines. This is an individual-contributor role with significant technical ownership and visibility into every stage of hardware development, from concept through on-orbit deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-level electrical architecture for next-generation quantum sensors, balancing size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C).
• Own end-to-end PCB development: requirements definition, schematic design, layout, fabrication coordination, and performance verification.
• Translate system-level requirements into detailed electronic designs in collaboration with physicists, and mechanical, software, and optical engineers.
• Design and adapt circuits for reliable operation in the LEO radiation and thermal environment.
• Partner with firmware and RTL engineers on radiation-tolerant techniques (error detection/correction, bit scrubbing, recovery methods).
• Support system integration, test, and troubleshooting to ensure instrument-level requirements are met.
• Build environmental test plans simulating LEO conditions; estimate FIT rates and electronics lifetime against mission parameters.
• Characterize and validate designs using standard lab test and measurement equipment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or related field) with 6+ years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 3+ years.
• 3+ years designing electronics for space applications (LEO preferred).
• Experience with power, analog, and mixed-signal circuit design for satellite or other flight systems.
• Working knowledge of radiation effects (TID, SEE) and common mitigation strategies.
• Experience selecting or qualifying components for radiation performance, including COTS parts.
• Solid grounding in high-speed PCB design practices: controlled impedance, length matching, grounding, decoupling, shielding.
• Comfortable in a lab environment, using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, VNAs, power supplies, and related test equipment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to work cross-functionally with hardware, firmware, and physics teams.
• To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with space-qualified microprocessors or FPGA families.
• Exposure to FPGA RTL or radiation-mitigation algorithms (TMR, SEU handling).
• Familiarity with digital signal processing and FPGA implementation constraints.
• Circuit simulation experience (e.g., LTSpice).
• Experience in AS9100-compliant environments.

Vector Atomic values teamwork, open and honest discourse, and work-life balance. We offer competitive compensation and benefits including:

• Platinum-level family health coverage (medical, dental, vision)
• Health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employer 401(k) contributions
• 20 days of paid time off / 11 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Fully stocked kitchen

Pay Range

The approximate base salary range for this position is $142,113 - $186,063 per year. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity and benefits. Please note that it is less common for candidates to be hired at the top of this range, as final compensation is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Vector Atomic is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by law.

Vector Atomic does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or HR team.