Electrical Engineer – Propulsion / Engine Systems Electronics | Costa Mesa, CA | Fastwater Staffing

📍 Location: Costa Mesa, California, USA
📄 Employment Type: 6-Month Contract
🏢 Work Arrangement: 100% On-site, Monday–Friday
🚀 Start Date: TBD
💰 Compensation: TBD -- based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Must be available to work 100% on-site in Costa Mesa, CA, Monday–Friday.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret Security Clearance.
• Must have 5+ years of hands-on electrical engineering experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting complex PCB/board-level electronics.
• Strong experience with Altium Designer or an equivalent PCB design platform is required.

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on Electrical Engineer – Propulsion / Engine Systems Electronics to support the design, development, integration, and testing of advanced electronics for propulsion and engine systems.

This role will own the full PCB development lifecycle, from translating propulsion requirements into electrical designs through schematic capture, PCB layout, component selection, board bring-up, qualification testing, debugging, and system integration. The ideal candidate has strong experience across analog, digital, and power electronics and can develop reliable hardware for demanding vibration and temperature environments.

Key Responsibilities

PCB Design & Development

• Own full-cycle development of complex PCB assemblies for propulsion and engine systems.
• Translate system-level propulsion requirements into robust electrical designs.
• Perform schematic capture and support high-density PCB layout using Altium Designer or equivalent tools.
• Select components based on electrical, thermal, reliability, and environmental requirements.
• Lead board bring-up, debugging, testing, and propulsion-system integration.
• Ensure PCB designs meet electrical, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and reliability requirements.

Propulsion & Engine Electronics

• Design and optimize electronics supporting propulsion and engine systems, including:
  • Flight controller circuits
  • Power distribution systems
  • Power supplies
  • Motor controller circuits
  • Electromagnetic actuator circuits
• Support integration of electronics with propulsion hardware and associated control systems.
• Troubleshoot electrical issues identified during engine testing and system integration.

Engineering Analysis

• Perform circuit simulations and detailed engineering analyses.
• Conduct Worst-Case Analysis (WCA), thermal analysis, DFMEA, and component derating analysis.
• Evaluate electrical designs for reliable operation under extreme temperature, vibration, and other demanding environments.
• Use LTSpice or equivalent tools to validate circuit performance.

Verification, Qualification & Testing

• Lead PCB and electronics bring-up activities.
• Develop and execute functional, Design Verification Testing (DVT), and qualification testing.
• Utilize laboratory equipment to troubleshoot and characterize electrical hardware.
• Perform root-cause and failure analysis supporting engine testing and field operations.
• Document test results, anomalies, corrective actions, and engineering findings.

Cross-Functional Engineering

• Collaborate with Mechanical, Thermal, Software, Test, Systems, Quality, and Manufacturing Engineering teams.
• Conduct peer-level and cross-disciplinary design reviews.
• Provide electrical engineering support throughout development, integration, qualification, and testing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE).
• 5+ years of professional experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting complex board-level electronic systems.
• Strong fundamentals in:
  • Analog electronics
  • Digital electronics
  • Power electronics
• Hands-on experience with the complete PCB development lifecycle, including schematic capture, PCB layout, component selection, board bring-up, testing, debugging, and system integration.
• Deep proficiency with Altium Designer or equivalent schematic capture and PCB layout tools.
• Experience with LTSpice or equivalent circuit simulation tools.
• Strong hands-on experience with laboratory equipment, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, function generators, DMMs, electronic loads, bench power supplies, thermal chambers, and test automation equipment.
• Familiarity with CAN, I²C, SPI, and Ethernet communication interfaces.
• Familiarity with common MCU/CPU architectures.
• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (MSEE).
• Experience with MATLAB and/or Simulink for engineering data analysis, control-loop modeling, and system simulation.
• Experience designing electronics for propulsion, engine control, aerospace, or other high-reliability systems.
• Experience developing motor-control or actuator-control electronics.
• Experience designing power distribution and power conversion electronics.
• Experience with electronics designed for high-vibration and extreme-temperature environments.
• Experience supporting hardware qualification, environmental testing, and failure investigations.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a hands-on electrical hardware engineer who can own complex electronics from requirements through PCB design, board bring-up, testing, and system integration.

The strongest candidates will combine deep PCB design, analog/digital/power electronics, and laboratory troubleshooting experience with the ability to work directly with propulsion, mechanical, software, thermal, manufacturing, and test teams. Experience with Altium, LTSpice, power systems, motor/actuator control, DVT/qualification testing, and root-cause analysis will be especially valuable.