Senior Spaceflight Electronics Design Engineer

CU Boulder; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

CU Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) seeks a senior electrical engineer to own the electrical architecture for complex flight circuitry and lead hardware from schematic capture through qualification and integration.

This hands-on role requires deep domain expertise and broad electrical judgment, collaborating with systems, FPGA, software, mechanical, and mission teams in Boulder. Equal opportunity employer with onsite work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field; 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Technical ownership of complex electronic assemblies from requirements through production and integration.
• Deep expertise in at least one domain (analog/sensor electronics, power, motor control, embedded or digital hardware, or high-speed digital design) plus breadth across adjacent disciplines.
• Experience leading a technical team or engineering work package and communicating risk to program leadership.
• Practical fluency with schematic/PCB design and review, circuit simulation and analysis, and electronics laboratory test and troubleshooting.
• Experience with spaceflight or other high-consequence hardware is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Own the electrical architecture and technical baseline for complex flight circuit assemblies or instrument systems.
• Translate mission needs into requirements, interfaces, power and performance budgets, grounding and fault-management concepts, verification plans and implementations.
• Lead trades on performance, radiation, reliability, parts availability, manufacturability, thermal and mechanical constraints, cost, and schedule.
• Guide design reviews, PCB implementation, board bring-up, environmental qualification, EMI/EMC troubleshooting, failure investigations, and integration.
• May lead a small technical team and provide program leadership with risk, readiness, staffing, budget, and flight-path recommendations.
• Collaborate with systems, FPGA, software, mechanical, and program teams; may serve as responsible engineer for an electrical board or subsystem.
• Other duties assigned

Skills

Analog electronics

Sensor electronics

Power electronics

Motor control

Embedded systems

High-speed digital design

Schematic design

PCB layout

Circuit simulation

Lab testing

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Job description

Job Summary

At the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), our engineers build flight and ground electronics for scientific instruments and spacecraft exploring Earth, the Sun, the Moon, planets, and the wider universe. We are looking for a senior electrical engineer who is driven to explore and can see the whole system, make sound decisions when constraints compete, and enjoys a job requiring hands‑on hardware development work.

You may have built your career in low‑noise analog and sensor electronics, power conversion, motor control, embedded systems, or high‑speed digital hardware. We do not expect one person to be an expert in every domain. What matters is deep capability in at least one area, broad electrical judgment, and a record of leading complex hardware from an early architecture through qualification and integration.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

LASP combines the agility of a university laboratory with the technical capability of a premier space mission organization. Engineers work directly alongside scientists, students, and mission operators, allowing technical decisions to move quickly while maintaining scientific excellence.

As part of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), LASP began in 1948 and is a world‑recognized space science research institute that implements the full life cycle of science missions from the definition of the science questions through the development of space flight hardware and the subsequent mission operations. We are the only research institute in the world to have sent science instruments to all eight planets, Pluto, and beyond the solar system.

LASP combines all aspects of space exploration through our expertise in science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis. As part of CU, LASP also works to educate and train the next generation of space scientists, engineers and mission operators by integrating undergraduate and graduate students into working teams. Our students take their unique experiences with them into government or industry or remain in academia to continue the cycle of exploration.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

What you will do

• Own the electrical architecture and technical baseline for complex flight circuit‑card assemblies, instrument electrical systems, or small‑spacecraft electrical systems. Build the circuit card from schematic capture, manage layout, and lead laboratory startup testing.
• Translate mission needs into practical requirements, interfaces, power and performance budgets, grounding and fault‑management concepts, verification plans, and implementation decisions.
• Contribute to or lead trades on performance, radiation, reliability, parts availability, manufacturability, thermal and mechanical constraints, cost, schedule, and mission life.
• Guide design reviews, PCB implementation, board bring‑up, environmental qualification, EMI/EMC troubleshooting, failure investigations, and spacecraft or instrument integration.
• You may also lead a small technical team and give program leadership clear recommendations on risk, readiness, staffing, budget, schedule, suppliers, and the path to flight.
• Other duties assigned

This is a hands‑on technical leadership role. You will work closely with systems, FPGA, software, mechanical, thermal, science, quality, parts, radiation, manufacturing, and program teams. Depending on the mission, you may serve as the responsible engineer for an electrical board or subsystem or lead electrical engineer for an instrument or small spacecraft.

What You Should Know

• Because this position requires access to export‑controlled information, applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other protected individuals as defined by applicable U.S. export‑control laws.
• The work requires regular onsite presence in Boulder for flight hardware, laboratory work, and integration.
• Occasional travel and work outside normal business hours may be needed during critical test, integration, or launch activities.

What We Can Offer

$120,416.44 - $189,585.27/per year.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well‑being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world‑class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• A bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field with at least 10 years of relevant experience; advanced engineering degrees in relevant fields may be considered as contribution to your experience.
• Technical ownership of complex electronic assemblies or subsystems, including at least one carried from requirements and architecture through production, qualification, and integration.
• Deep expertise in at least one relevant domain - analog or sensor electronics, power, motor control, embedded or digital hardware, or high-speed digital design - plus breadth across adjacent disciplines.
• Experience leading a technical team or engineering work package and communicating technical, cost, schedule, and readiness risk to program leadership.
• Practical fluency with schematic/PCB design and review, circuit simulation and analysis, and electronics laboratory test and troubleshooting.
• Experience with spaceflight or other high‑consequence hardware. Your experience could include NASA or comparable assurance practices, radiation‑tolerant design, EEE parts, EMI/EMC, FPGA‑enabled architectures, automated test, or supplier oversight would be valuable - but no candidate is expected to bring all of these.
• Strong candidates build expertise in different ways. If this work excites you and you meet the core qualifications, please apply even if your experience does not match every preferred qualification.

What You Will Need

You are comfortable making progress when requirements are incomplete and several risks interact. You can move between architecture, schematic and PCB review, circuit analysis, laboratory troubleshooting, supplier conversations, and program decisions without losing the technical thread. You communicate assumptions and residual risk plainly, mentor other engineers, and build the documentation and configuration discipline needed for reproducible, reviewable flight hardware. You are motivated by LASP's mission of exploration and furthering humanity's understanding of the cosmos.