Electrical Hardware Design Engineer

Position: Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4
Job Description The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has an outstanding opportunity for an Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4 to join the Ocean Engineering Department (OED).About this Opportunity:

Reporting to the Ocean Engineering Department Head, the Electrical Hardware Design Engineer 4 will be an integral member of the Ocean Engineering Department that supports Principal Investigators (PIs) by creating specialized electrical systems used to observe the natural and physical world. The incumbent will design, build, test, document, and deploy electrical solutions for oceanographic, ocean acoustic, marine renewable energy, autonomous vehicle, and marine robotic systems and instruments.

The incumbent serves as a lead electrical hardware engineer responsible for the full lifecycle development of sophisticated research instrumentation and electrical systems, from concept development and requirements definition through design, integration, testing, deployment, and long-term operational support. Working under broad objectives and expected outcomes, the incumbent independently plans and executes complex engineering assignments for projects ranging from moderate to large scale, often involving unique technical requirements and environments where standard solutions are not available.

The position routinely manages multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities and timelines, applying advanced engineering judgment to evaluate alternatives, anticipate technical risks, and develop innovative solutions to challenging research and operational problems. While collaborating closely with Principal Investigators, the Department Head, and multidisciplinary teams of software, mechanical, and field engineers, the incumbent is expected to operate with independence in defining technical approaches, making engineering decisions, and ensuring successful project execution.

The position requires proactively translating scientific objectives into engineering requirements, identifying and resolving complex technical issues, adapting to evolving project needs, and delivering reliable systems that directly support critical research activities and field operations.

Key Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will independently lead and execute all phases of electrical hardware engineering for advanced research and development projects, from concept development and requirements definition through design, integration, testing, deployment, and lifecycle support. The position supports a diverse portfolio of oceanographic, marine robotics, marine renewable energy, and acoustic instrumentation projects, requiring the application of advanced engineering principles to solve complex technical challenges in demanding operational environments.

Assignments may range from the development of specialized electronic subsystems and custom circuit boards to the architecture and implementation of sophisticated autonomous and distributed marine systems.

Core responsibilities include the ability to:

Design, Build, and Test Electrical Hardware (90% FTE):
• Approaches novel assignments and applies sophisticated research techniques, networks, and resources, and moves the project forward from inception to execution.
• Works on complex research endeavors that result in the creation of new concepts, applications, designs, or new areas of research.
• Gathers electrical system requirements from Principal Investigators.
• Designs and proposes system architectural designs to Principal Investigators.
• Establishes design approaches that balance performance, reliability, schedule, and cost
• Designs circuit schematics and PCB layouts using Altium software.
• Designs for requirements involving data acquisition from scientific sensors, power…