Jobs and Careers

Senior Electrical Engineer - Defense

United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 3 Feb 2025

💰 $140,000/yr($110,000/yr – $140,000/yr)

About the role

Who We Are At nLIGHT, we are constantly on the cutting-edge of laser technology in a massively growing market. We are a leading provider of high-power semiconductors and fiber lasers for industrial, microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not only the way things are made, but also changing the things that can be made.Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: LASR).Brief Description The Directed Energy team develops cutting-edge, highly SWaP optimized laser and electro-optical systems for the defense market. Our systems are integrated into MIL-STD high-voltage vehicle power systems and our electronics are responsible for ensuring that every electron gets turned into a photon as efficiently and safely as possible all while packing into as small a volume as possible. We work as a multidisciplinary team with the focus on supporting production and new product introduction of complex laser systems. We are currently seeking a Sr. Electrical Engineer to join the Directed Energy Electronics team and contribute expertise in power electronics development and production. This individual will support existing low-SWaP multi-kilowatt high-voltage designs, develop next-generation SMPS laser diode driver technologies and has experience building high-reliability hardware for deployment in harsh environments at any altitude. Job Description

Create functional SIMPLIS circuit analysis models of existing SMPS converters
Create SPICE simulations for analog circuitry and device equivalent circuits
Propose suggestions and execute trade studies for next-gen converter designs. Develop concept models for these designs
Execute engineering experimentation to qualify new designs and/or processes Characterize and benchmark electrical and thermal performance of existing converter designs and identify areas for improvement
Participate in peer design reviews
Design PCBAs, custom magnetics, power delivery systems, and safety circuits as needed to advance the state-of-the-art of directed energy laser products
Formulate and produce complete electrical design packages including detailed schematics, PCB layout, cable routing diagrams, panel layouts, bills of materials and material requisition forms
Manage certification and compliance testing to international safety and EMC standards such as IEC/UL-61010, MIL-STD 461, MIL-STD 704, MIL-STD 1275
Become a thought-leader in establishing safe high-voltage practices both in designs and laboratory work

Qualifications

6+ years’ experience as an Electrical Engineer or equivalent educational background
BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or similar discipline
Experience creating meaningful SPICE simulations that drive design decisions
Experience calculating thermal losses for magnetics and semiconductor devices and collaborating with mechanical teams on cooling strategies
Experience using SIMPLIS models to compensate converters and guide loop-shaping in both analog and digital domains
Experience designing galvanic isolation for high-voltage topologies
Familiarity with power systems and high-voltage harness design
Commitment to Excellence. Attention to Detail. Pride in Workmanship
Effectively manage schedule and priorities with minimal daily direction
Experience in power systems and batteries – power electronics and power conditioning
Strong troubleshooting skills related to complex electro-optic systems
Experience with schematic capture and layout tools (Altium Designer preferred)
Highly organized and detail-oriented with clear and professional written and oral communication skills
Highly proficient with test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, LC meters, DC biased spectroscopy measurements, loop characterization, Bode plots and HIL tools

Exceptional candidates will have:

Demonstrated track record of designing electronics deployed in harsh environments, including space, and working with effects of extreme temperature, radiation and moisture