Principal Electrical Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Principal Electrical Engineer to join the Field Intelligence Element (FIE) to support the development, integration, deployment, and sustainment of laboratory and field-deployable sensing, monitoring, and control systems. The FIE enables Argonne National Laboratory to provide products and services to DOE’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE-IN), the Intelligence Community (IC), and non-IC federal agencies.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the current suite of software tools used for laboratory and field experimental operation within the group, including configuring, adapting, validating, and documenting these tools to meet varying experimental needs. Requires fluency in current software designs and the ability to diagnose issues down to the network layer, including communication interfaces, embedded operating systems, and field-deployed network configurations.
• Design replacement software and hardware components to improve existing systems, emphasizing reliability, maintainability, performance, cybersecurity, and field readiness.
• Design new electronics configurations that seamlessly integrate with existing systems.
• Develop, test, and integrate replacement software, firmware, hardware, and electronics components to enhance sensing, monitoring, and control systems.
• Travel up to 15% of the time for field trials in domestic and international locations to deploy, test, develop, and gather data using specific sensing systems.
• Assist in long-term planning of project direction and scope, including system modernization and evaluation of emerging technologies.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert in hardware and software technologies for scientific control systems.
• Drive end-to-end software and firmware life-cycle phases and source/release control in environments such as Python, JavaScript, R, C++, and C, deploying across desktop and embedded systems.
• Design and maintain custom embedded Linux hardware and operating systems.
• Apply industry-standard design practices for software and network security, including secure design, configuration control, and protection of field-deployed systems.
• Develop practical technical solutions in resource-constrained or field-deployed environments.
• Lead efforts to design and construct custom analog and digital printed circuit boards.
• Modify existing Python-based control system software to meet future project needs.
• Act as the lead architect for new control system software using modern design patterns, frameworks, and methodologies.
• Develop and implement digital signal processing algorithms and hardware in real-time systems.
• Design and create intuitive graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for system applications, working iteratively with end users to refine them.
• Support and enhance existing legacy control system tools and applications.
• Interface with mechanical systems and apply fundamental knowledge of mechanical terms and schematics.
• Create relational database applications and web-based tools.
• Apply advanced techniques in the development of control system and sensing applications.

Requirements

• Degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field with relevant engineering experience, or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience in soldering, cable assembly, use of test equipment, troubleshooting systems, and complex system integration of commercial technology into specialized platforms.
• Proficiency in Python and development experience in embedded Linux, make utilities, C, C++, shell scripting, client/server applications, network communications, relational databases, user interface design, and web services.
• Expertise in common serial communication protocols (TCP, UDP, I2C, UART, SPI, and others).
• Experience with the design and maintenance of custom embedded Linux hardware and operating systems.
• Knowledge of radiation detection instrumentation operation.
• Experience creating and developing relational database applications and web-based tools.
• Mechanical 3D CAD and design skills to assist in the construction of field-deployable test apparatus.
• Proficiency in understanding and modifying existing schematics, printed circuit board layouts, interconnects, and cable design.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented with strong programming disciplines, including code documentation and version control.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills to convey technical information to multidisciplinary teams and end users.
• U.S. citizenship is required to comply with federal regulations and contract requirements. The selected candidate must obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Qualifications

• RD3 Level: Bachelor’s and 8+ years; Master’s and 5+ years; Doctorate and 4+ years in electrical engineering or equivalent.
• RD4 Level: Bachelor’s and 12+ years; Master’s and 7+ years; Doctorate and 6+ years in electrical engineering or equivalent.

Pay

• RD3 Level: $116,250 - $181,350
• RD4 Level: $138,000 - $215,280

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package. View Argonne employee benefits.

Schedule

Full time