Principal Electrical Engineer

About OKSI

For over 30 years, OKSI has built electro-optical and infrared sensing systems for GPS-denied navigation, target detection, terminal guidance, and multispectral imaging across air, ground, and space platforms — pairing custom EO/IR hardware with AI/ML autonomy software.

For over 30 years, OKSI has built electro-optical and infrared sensing systems for GPS-denied navigation, target detection, terminal guidance, and multispectral imaging across air, ground, and space platforms — pairing custom EO/IR hardware with AI/ML autonomy software.

We're a privately held small business in Torrance. Short decision chains, engineers who talk directly to customers, and your fingerprints on everything that ships.

OKSI is developing seekers, one-way attack air vehicles, control actuation systems, and EO/IR sensor payloads on accelerated development timelines. We're seeking an electrical engineer capable of carrying a design from initial concept through flight-ready hardware with minimal process overhead. This is a hands‑on ownership role, not an architecture-only position — you will own designs from concept through environmental qualification and flight test.

• Own mixed‑signal PCB designs end to end — architecture, schematic, layout direction, fab/assembly release, bring‑up, and debug
• Design detector proximity electronics for EO/IR focal plane arrays (ROIC interfaces, bias, low‑noise analog front ends, TEC/thermal control)
• Develop high‑speed digital interfaces (LVDS, Ser Des, DDR, MIPI, CoaXPress) and SWaP‑constrained power architectures (DC‑DC, battery/power management, sequencing, transient protection)
• Develop motor drive and servo electronics for control actuation (BLDC/brushed drives, current/position loops, resolver/encoder feedback)

• Design and document wire harnesses and interconnect for airborne/missile environments, including connector selection (MIL‑DTL‑38999, micro‑D, nano‑D)
• Own EMI/EMC‑conscious shielding, grounding, and bonding strategy across the vehicle

• Design for and qualify against MIL‑STD‑810, MIL‑STD‑461, and MIL‑STD‑704/DO‑160
• Harden assemblies for high‑G/vibration/thermal extremes (staking, potting, conformal coating, derating); run worst‑case analysis, thermal analysis, and FMEA
• Plan and execute HALT/HASS and qualification test campaigns

• Bring up first articles, isolate hardware/firmware/software failures, and drive root cause to closure
• Support systems integration and flight test, including travel to test ranges
• Work with fab houses and vendors on DFM/DFT, yield, and obsolescence

• Serve as senior electrical authority across concurrent rapid‑development programs
• Flow requirements to electrical specs and defend them to customers
• Mentor engineers and raise the design/documentation standard across the team

• BSEE or equivalent, plus 10–20 years designing electronics for aerospace or defense systems
• Demonstrated hands‑on ownership of production hardware — boards you designed that were built, qualified, and fielded
• Deep proficiency in a professional EDA tool suite (Altium, Cadence, or Mentor) for schematic and layout
• Practical command of MIL‑STD‑810 and MIL‑STD‑461, with a track record of getting hardware through qualification
• Working knowledge of IPC design and workmanship standards (IPC‑2221/2222, IPC‑A‑610, IPC/WHMA‑A‑620)
• Fluency at the bench: oscilloscopes, spectrum and network analyzers, thermal cameras, power analyzers

• Direct experience on missile seekers, terminal guidance hardware, or precision‑guided munitions
• Autonomous UAV, loitering munition, or OWA air vehicle development
• Control actuation system or electromechanical actuator electronics
• EO/IR sensor payload electronics, gimbal control, or IMU/inertial sensor integration
• Rapid prototyping under SBIR, OTA, or other fast‑turn contract vehicles
• MSEE, or demonstrated depth that makes the question irrelevant

• Salary range: $150,000 – $250,000 annually. Placement within the range reflects experience, depth in seeker…