Principal Digital Electrical Engineer

Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI) Headquartered in Clarksburg, MD, is a U.S. company that has been serving domestic and international defense Air, Land and Sea domains for 60+ years. With over 1000 employees, TDSI and its four subsidiaries (Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Digital Receiver Technology, Tampa Microwave, and Trusted Cyber Technologies), supports U.S. Joint Services, special operations forces and multi-national partners with a variety of communication, visualization, signal intelligence/electronic warfare, and sensor/sonar capabilities.

TDSI’s key technologies include tactical handheld radios, expeditionary satellite terminals, helmet-mounted displays, optics and target recognition capability, advanced radars, undersea sensing and missile systems. Lives depend on what we do!

• Yearly Incentive Compensation Plan
• Medical insurance for self and eligible family members
• Generous 401(k) program- up to 7% company contribution and 100% immediate vesting
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid wellness, vacation, and holiday leave
• Paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave
• 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)

Principal Digital Hardware Engineer position located at our Clarksburg, MD Campus, focused on our software-defined radio technologies
. The Principal Engineer will report to the Director of Hardware and Support Engineering. The Principal Engineer will work cross functionally with software engineers to co-design a system and solve problems by making software and hardware cooperate rather than operate at cross‑purposes. You will collaborate with mechanical engineers to design intricate high‑power thermal and interconnect solutions. The ideal candidate will be able to lead Project Meetings and coordinate Product Development from product inception to production handoff.

• Lead small digital engineering teams and/or work independently to define requirements, conceive, document (create schematics, PCB layouts, interface control documents, hardware design documents, test plans/reports, etc), analyze/simulate, build prototypes, load firmware/software on prototype boards and radios, perform verification testing, debug, and optimize digital circuit designs to meet requirements at the circuit, card, and product levels.
• Implement digital designs of high complexity and high density utilizing microprocessors, DSPs, memory systems, FPGAs, audio amplifiers and codecs, displays, and high efficiency low noise power supplies capable of supporting advanced waveforms used in small size weight and power (SWAP) communication products.
• Implement designs utilizing on board high speed data buses (i.e. DDR3/DDR4 memory, High Speed Ethernet, etc) and capable of controlling external RF amplifiers and interfacing with external data and control devices (USB 2.0/3.0, RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, etc).
• Perform technical trade studies and analyses to select digital architecture and key components.
• Develop and implement detailed design specifications, test plans and test procedures.
• Effectively troubleshoot problems and implement effective solutions.
• Plan and execute PCB layout activities independently and through PCB Layout Designers.
• Plan, estimate, and manage the technical requirements, scope, budget, schedule, and deliverables for designs from concept, through detailed design, prototype and engineering test, and transition into full rate production.
• Generate documentation for programming individual components, loading firmware onto circuit card assemblies and fully assembled product.
• Integrate Design for Manufacturing, Assembly, and Testing methodologies into all digital designs including Boundary Scan and related test fixtures.
• Perform root cause analysis on field failures and support continuous product improvements.
• Verify product performance vs. predictions for prototype products and production hardware products.
• Analyze product failure data and malfunction testing trends, troubleshoot yield issues, and recommend product improvements, including test improvements.
• Participate in continuous improvement and team building activities. Maintain productive working…