Electronics Engineer,(IS-855-12)

About the role

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) seeks an Electrical Engineer to provide electrical engineering support for the development of advanced instrumentation and other Central Engineering projects as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop electrical and electronics systems, subsystems, modules, and components for advanced instrumentation
• Create PCB designs, electrical block diagrams, electronic closures, and cable and interconnect documentation
• Evaluate design options and make recommendations on parts selection, fabrication approaches, and implementation methods suited to complex instrumentation environments
• Support cost and schedule estimates for hardware design, fabrication, tests, and calibration; maintain technical documentation throughout project lifecycle
• Support procurement of specialized electrical, electro-optical, and mechanisms
• Contribute to oral and written presentations for stakeholders and the broader scientific community
• Travel, both domestically and internationally, to telescope sites, vendor facilities, NASA centers, and the facilities of other associated organizations in support of proposal, design, calibration, test, integration, and mission operations
• Other duties assigned

Requirements

Basic Requirements: (A) Degree: professional engineering. To be acceptable, the curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR (B) Combination of education and experience—college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or above the grade 11 level in similar positions. Specialized experience is experience that has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the work of the position and would include significant experience in general electrical engineering, experience supporting architecting system level electrical designs using both commercial and custom electronics and supporting project design reviews and participating in other projects' reviews.

Skills

• Knowledge of electronic concepts and practices sufficient to design, build, and test electrical systems
• Proficiency with electrical schematic capture and PCB layout tools including Altium Designer and familiarity with analog and digital design simulation tools such as SPICE
• Experience with industrial automation technologies including motion control systems, actuators, detectors, and control interfaces
• Working knowledge of related engineering principles such as thermal, mechanical, or optical engineering to support integrated instrument design and packaging
• Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to effectively present technical work to scientists, engineers, and project stakeholders

Pay

$101,375 - $131,790 / year

Schedule

This is a Trust Indefinite (Non-Federal) position.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Transit/Commuter Benefits
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Annual and Sick Leave
• Family Friendly Leave
• 403b Retirement Plan
• Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants
• Credit Union
• Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care)

Location: Cambridge, MA
Department: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Application Deadline: September 24, 2026
Area of Consideration: U.S. person (citizen, permanent resident, approved asylee, or refugee) or a national of a country eligible to be approved for an export license who is eligible to work in the US. This position requires access to export-controlled work.