Senior Electrical Engineer (Onsite)

Senior Hardware Electrical Engineer

The Resilient Connectivity Products (RCP) Hardware Technologies department is looking for a Senior Hardware Electrical Engineer to join the exciting development of next-generation communication solutions in Cedar Rapids, IA. We are focused on high-speed digital electronics within communication products that are critical to the defense of our nation, such as sophisticated software-defined radios and data links designed for use in various ground, airborne, and space applications.

We are looking for a strong technical contributor with a detail-oriented mindset, who can design, develop, and test high-speed digital circuit card assemblies (CCAs), applying knowledge of FPGAs, processors, and memory to deliver next-generation products. This role requires expertise in PCB design, signal integrity, and power integrity to drive high-density, high-speed circuit designs from conception through requirements and schematic capture, layout, build, test and final design verification in the lab. The ability to balance digital hardware design skills and creation of well-organized technical documentation, including schematics, board stackup/routing guidelines, various analyses, and test procedures is also critical to this role.

What You Will Do

• Perform digital circuit card design lifecycle activities including requirements capture, schematic capture, design documentation, signal integrity analysis, creation of board stackup and routing instructions, coordination and review of printed wiring board layout, creation of test plans, root cause analysis, and integration. Designs may include the use of FPGA, processors, and DDR memory components, and industry interfaces, such as Ethernet, PCIe, I2C, SPI, and UART.
• Perform pre- and post-layout SI (Signal Integrity) and PI (Power Integrity) simulations using tools like Hyperlynx
• Support hardware design and development of engineering lab and production test solutions, that may include circuit card designs, test interface adapters, and cabling.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including software, systems, and mechanical engineering to deliver integrated solutions that meet customer requirements
• Prepare and present project and/or technical information to technical staff, program leadership, management and customers. This includes producing technical documentation, including specifications, hardware design documents, and test plans.
• Test and troubleshoot electronic circuitry. Includes support lab of design verification testing for circuit card assemblies.
• Perform trade studies as needed and select components necessary to implement the requirements. Includes supporting system architecture discussions where needed.
• Ensure designs adhere to Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Test (DFT), and Design for Assembly (DFA) standards to reduce production costs.

What You Will Learn

• Become a subject matter expert in the domain area of high-speed digital circuit design.
• Deepen understanding of hardware electrical engineering principles, develop strong analytical skills, and gain hands-on experience with high-speed interfaces, processors, and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
• This role will provide opportunities to build skills that will help advance your career, whether that is in line with more technical roles, people leadership, etc. We are growing, so can you!

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 5 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and minimum 3 years of experience
• 5+ years of hardware engineering experience, with solid grounding in electrical engineering fundamentals including component selection, digital circuit design, circuit analysis, troubleshooting, and lab-based test/validation.
• Experience contributing to circuit card development activities across the design lifecycle, including requirements review, schematic capture, layout support, prototype bring-up, and verification testing.
• Hands-on experience designing or supporting multilayer PCBs in a product development environment.
• Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB design tools such as Xpedition, Cadence Allegro, or Altium Designer.
• Working knowledge of simulation tools (e.g., HyperLynx, ADS, SPICE or similar) to support design analysis and validation efforts.
• Experience supporting board bring-up and debug activities, participating in root cause analysis and issue resolution under senior technical guidance when needed.

Qualifications We Prefer

• Advanced experience with electrical circuit designs that contain digital electronics such as processors, FPGAs, memory, and industry standard interfaces.
• Experience of electrical designs with high-speed protocols, such as PCIe, Ethernet, and high-speed memory interfaces.
• Control Account Manager (CAM) experience with knowledge of the Earned Value Management System (EVMS) principles and practices for managing scope, schedule, budget, and risks for hardware development projects.
• Previous experience working in a defense or aerospace company
• Active SECRET Security Clearance or HIGHER
• Experience with Agile for Hardware Development, including planning, tracking, and managing hardware development projects in JIRA is a plus.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey technical information to cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

What We Offer:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Three weeks of vacation for newly hired employees
• Generous 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds and separate employer retirement contribution, including a Lifetime Income Strategy option
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• Optional coverages you can buy pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Ovia Health, fertility, and family planning
• Adoption Assistance         
• Autism Benefit
• Employee Assistance Plan, including up to 10 free counseling sessions
• Healthy You Incentives, wellness rewards program
• Doctor on Demand, virtual doctor visits
• Bright Horizons, child and elder care services
• Teladoc Medical Experts, second opinion program
• Eligible for relocation
• And more!