Senior Engineer - Electrical

Vector Atomic; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Platinum‑level health coverage

Health and Dependent care FSA

Employer 401(k) contributions

20 days paid time off

Paid parental leave

Fully stocked kitchen

Job summary

Vector Atomic in Pleasanton, CA is seeking an experienced electrical design engineer to own PCB development for advanced quantum instruments, from concept through production. You will collaborate with physicists and engineers across disciplines to deliver reliable, manufacturable boards.

Key work includes HDI/high‑speed differential layouts, controlled impedance routing, POL power circuits, and DFM-focused design.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with 6+ years of experience; or Master’s with 3+ years.
• Experience in complex, mixed‑signal PCBA designs using ECAD tools (prefer Altium).
• Ability to work in a laboratory and communicate effectively with team members.
• US export control eligibility for Vector Atomic employees.

Responsibilities

• Lead PCB design for high‑density, high‑speed boards for quantum instruments.
• Own PCB process from concept to production, including DFM compliance.
• Define layout standards, impedance, and via strategies; optimize signal and power integrity.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to troubleshoot fabrication and yield issues.

Skills

HDI layouts

High-speed diff. pairs

Schematic capture

Altium Designer

PLM systems

DFM/DFR awareness

PCB routing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree (optional)

Tools

Altium Designer

PLM system

Oscilloscopes

Spectrum analyzers

Job description

Vector Atomic is building quantum hardware to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. In 2025, we joined IonQ [NYSE: IONQ], the world’s leading quantum platform and merchant supplier – delivering integrated quantum solutions across computing, networking, sensing, and security.

Our scientists, engineers, software developers, and operations professionals collaborate to deliver real-world solutions. We value ingenuity, diverse skillsets, and teamwork. Every team member can make an immediate impact while growing professionally. Join us to build breakthrough technology in a fast‑paced, hands‑on environment.

As a key contributor, you'll harness your creativity to develop innovative electronic solutions for groundbreaking quantum instruments, overseeing the entire lifecycle of these circuits, from concept through to implementation. The ideal candidate is an agile engineer who excels in a high‑paced environment, readily shifting between intricate design challenges and immediate troubleshooting needs while maintaining the highest standards of quality.

Location:

This role is based onsite at our office in Pleasanton, CA (Bay Area)

Key Responsibilities:

• Join forces with physicists and engineers—across electrical, mechanical, and optical domains—to bring system and schematic requirements to life through innovative electronic designs tailored for cutting‑edge quantum instruments.
• Take charge of the entire PCB process for intricate boards, encompassing high‑speed digital, precision analog, mixed‑signal, power, and RF sectors.
• Establish, uphold, and advocate for PCB layout standards and design rules, including stack‑ups, trace/space specifications, impedance profiles, creepage/clearance measures, and via strategies.
• Drive component selection, placement, and routing with a focus on optimizing signal integrity, power integrity, thermal efficiency, manufacturability, and ease of service.
• Collaborate closely with electrical engineers to execute controlled‑impedance routing techniques (including microstrip, stripline, and differential pairs) while effectively managing timing‑critical nets.
• Place a strong emphasis on manufacturability and testability throughout the design process.
• Lead the complete PCBA design journey from initial concept through to production.
• Contribute to our manufacturing initiatives by addressing support issues, defining tests, and ensuring adherence to DFM guidelines in PCB designs.
• Continuously follow and enhance design directives and procedures.
• Have a solid understanding of DFM/DFA constraints and hands‑on experience working directly with PCB fabricators and assemblers.
• Design and develop Point‑of‑Load (POL) power supply circuits to effectively manage complex board‑level power distribution, ensuring high efficiency while meeting stringent power sequencing requirements.
• Engage with internal teams to troubleshoot DFM/DFA challenges, enhance yield, and improve fabrication processes.
• Ensure accurate and up‑to‑date design data and documentation in our cloud‑based PLM system, including revisions and engineering change orders (ECOs).

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field, accompanied by a minimum of six years of professional experience; alternatively, a Master's degree with at least three years of professional experience; or equivalent experience.
• At least three years of professional experience in electrical design, specifically in the development of complex, mixed‑signal PCBA designs utilizing advanced ECAD tools, with a preference for proficiency in Altium Designer.
• Ability to work comfortably in a laboratory setting.
• Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and collaborators, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work independently on assigned activities while collaborating within multidisciplinary teams.
• To comply with 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.
• Ability to work onsite full‑time at our office in Pleasanton, CA (SF Bay Area)

Preferred Experience (several of the following):

• Demonstrated expertise in high‑density layouts, encompassing HDI, fine‑pitch BGAs, high‑speed differential pairs, and mixed‑signal designs.
• Ability to define and implement controlled impedance structures (microstrip, stripline, and differential pairs), as well as strategies for signal integrity, power distribution, grounding, and EMI/EMC‑aware layout techniques.
• Proficient in designing PCBAs that feature modern FPGAs, MCUs, mixed‑signal, and precision analog circuits, ideally with Altium Designer.
• Experience in designing POL power circuits with stringent ripple and EMI specifications.
• Skilled in utilizing a PLM system to oversee PCBA designs, including the creation of Engineering Change Orders (ECOs).
• Hands‑on experience with hardware debugging and familiarity with laboratory test equipment such as oscilloscopes, digital voltmeters, and spectrum analyzers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Proven hands‑on experience in designing PCBs using Altium Designer, including expertise in schematic capture, layout, library management, and fabrication file generation. Familiarity with creating design rules and implementing constraint‑driven layouts in Altium is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate PCB designs with PLM/ERP systems, alongside effective management of component libraries and their lifecycle statuses.
• A background in defining, simulating, and verifying ASIC designs would be a valuable addition.
• Previous experience in low‑power design is highly regarded.
• Skilled in creating designs that comply with standards such as RoHS/CE, EMI/EMC, and UL requirements.

Vector Atomic offers 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 base salary range for this position is $140,000 - $175,000 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.