Senior Engineer Space Electronics

About Vector Atomic:

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is building quantum technology to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. Our team of engineers, scientists, software developers, and operations professionals works together to solve complex challenges and turn bold ideas into real-world solutions. We value collaboration, curiosity, and diverse perspectives, and we give every team member the opportunity to make an immediate impact while growing their skills. If you’re excited to work on breakthrough technology in a fast-paced, hands-on environment, we’d love to hear from you. 

Location: This role is based onsite at our office in Pleasanton, CA.
Travel: Up to 5%, domestic or international.
Job ID: 1688

The Role: 

We are seeking experienced electronic engineers to join a multidisciplinary team of physicists and electrical, mechanical, software, and optical engineers. In this role, you will lead the design of advanced electronics for next‑generation quantum sensors, with a focus on specifying, designing, characterizing, and testing PCB assemblies featuring complex FPGA, MCU, mixed‑signal, and RF architectures. Designs must meet the stringent reliability and environmental requirements of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions.

As a key contributor, you will drive the full lifecycle of electronic subsystem development—from concept through implementation—while developing innovative solutions for novel quantum instruments. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast‑paced environment, shifting fluidly between deep design challenges and hands‑on troubleshooting, and consistently delivering high‑quality results.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the high‑level electrical architecture for next‑generation quantum sensors, balancing size, weight, power, and performance (SWaPC).
• Collaborate across disciplines to translate system requirements into detailed electronic designs.
• Own end‑to‑end PCB development, including requirements definition, schematic design, layout, fabrication coordination, and performance verification.
• Support system integration and testing to ensure instrument‑level requirements are met.
• Develop new circuits and adapt existing designs for reliable operation in LEO.
• Partner with firmware and RTL engineers to implement radiation‑tolerant techniques such as error detection/correction, bit scrubbing, and recovery methods.
• Create environmental test plans simulating LEO conditions; estimate FIT rates and electronics lifetimes based on mission parameters.
• Oversee testing at external facilities and refine test protocols to optimize outcomes.
• Use electronic test and measurement equipment to characterize and validate design performance.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (or related field) with 6+ years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 3+ years.
• Minimum 3 years of experience designing electronics for space applications, particularly LEO missions.
• Experience designing power, analog, and mixed‑signal circuits for satellite systems.
• Familiarity with radiation testing (TID, SEE) and mitigation techniques.
• Background in selecting and qualifying components for radiation performance, including COTS parts requiring verification testing.
• Proficiency with circuit simulation tools such as LTSpice.
• Expertise in high‑speed PCB design techniques: microstrip, controlled impedance, length matching, grounding, decoupling, and shielding.
• Skilled with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, VNAs, spectrum analyzers, power supplies, function generators, and DVMs.
• Comfortable working in a laboratory environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for cross‑functional collaboration.
• To comply with the 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with space‑qualified microprocessors or FPGA families.
• Background developing FPGA RTL or algorithms, including TMR and SEU mitigation.
• Understanding of digital signal processing techniques and FPGA implementation constraints.
• Experience with AS9100‑compliant processes is a plus.

  **Benefits will be provided by Vector Atomic, an IonQ Company, and will differ from the benefits listed on the IonQ website.** 

Benefits:

Vector Atomic values teamwork, open and honest discourse, and work-life balance. We offer 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

The approximate base salary range for this position is $142,113 - $186,063 per year. The total compensation package includes base, bonus, equity and benefits.  It's atypical to be hired at the top end of this range for the role, as actual pay is based on several factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience