Staff Electrical Engineer - Testing
Vector Atomic
Summary
We are seeking an experienced test engineer to collaborate with our diverse group of physicists, electrical, mechanical, and optical engineers. Vector Atomic has the opportunity to disrupt industries with world-beating sensor performance. Success requires rapid development of specialized, cutting-edge electronics. To support the development effort, an equally challenging effort is required to rapidly improve our verification procedures and approaches.
Job description
In this critical role, you'll be part of the leadership team defining the direction of our hardware test strategy. The right candidate will be comfortable not only with defining procedures but also with executing them. They should be able to work effectively in the lab and assist with debugging challenging board-level issues with custom electronics. They must lead by example and actively engage early-career engineers as mentors.
What You'll Do
- Be a team leader for a growing group that is tasked with both testing and debugging complex electronic circuits. The circuits include a complex mix of FPGAs, MCUs, mixed-signal, precision analog and photonics devices.
- Collaborate with physicists, electrical, mechanical, software, and optical engineers to develop test procedures to verify electronic designs for next-generation quantum instruments.
- Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing to define DFT and DFM improvements.
- Create test plans for environmental, EMI and EMC testing. Oversee and manage execution of these plans at external facilities, when necessary. They must be able to adjust test protocols as needed to optimize results.
- Use electronic test and measurement equipment to characterize and verify performance.
- Define equipment and software to create automated data systems for production systems.
Required Expertise
- BSEE/MSEE Degree combined with leadership experience testing precision instruments and/or sensors.
- Must be comfortable working in a laboratory environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and collaborators, both written and verbal. Able to create new test plans and procedures for novel instrumentation.
- Organize and manage test results. Take ownership of data storage and management systems to ensure valuable test data is retained and properly documented.
- Experience with devising testing protocols for precision instruments. Including specifying appropriate equipment, writing programs/scripts to automate testing, and finally documenting procedures for the team to use.
- Must be proficient in post-test data analysis to extract required performance metrics.
- Experience designing test loads, cabling, and custom equipment to support verification work.
- Able to read schematics, data sheets, and technical information to define expected measurement ranges.
- Proficiency with laboratory test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, VNA, SA, power supplies, function generators, and DVM.
- To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience using PCB Layout tools, particularly Altium
- Able to write test firmware for embedded MCUs to support testing of MCU-based PCBs.
- A background with AS9100 compliance would be a plus
- Experience with environmental testing for space electronics, including radiation effects, is a plus.
Requirements
- BSEE/MSEE Degree combined with leadership experience testing precision instruments and/or sensors
- Must be comfortable working in a laboratory environment
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and collaborators, both written and verbal
- Able to create new test plans and procedures for novel instrumentation
- Organize and manage test results and data storage/management systems
- Experience with devising testing protocols for precision instruments
- Specifying appropriate equipment, writing programs/scripts to automate testing, and documenting procedures
- Proficient in post-test data analysis to extract required performance metrics
- Experience designing test loads, cabling, and custom equipment to support verification work
- Able to read schematics, data sheets, and technical information to define expected measurement ranges
- Proficiency with laboratory test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, VNA, SA, power supplies, function generators, and DVM
- U.S. citizens, lawful U.S. permanent residents, and certain categories of refugees and asylees (export control compliance)
Benefits
- Platinum-level family health coverage
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Employer 401(k) contributions
- 20 days PTO / 11 holidays
- Paid parental leave
- Fully stocked kitchen
Company overview
Vector Atomic is a pioneering quantum technology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Pleasanton, California. The company specializes in commercializing quantum technology for real-world applications, with a primary focus on GPS-free navigation, telecommunications, and computing solutions. Vector Atomic develops advanced quantum sensors, atomic clocks, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems that leverage the exquisite properties of quantum systems. Their flagship products include the Evergreen-30, the world's first fully integrated commercial optical clock, and quantum inertial measurement units (IMUs) designed to provide standalone navigation capabilities without reliance on GNSS. The company has secured over $200 million in government contracts and works closely with defense agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency, and DARPA. Vector Atomic's technology delivers precise picosecond timing with 1,000x improvement in GPS accuracy, making their systems deployable and field-validated for space, submarine, and airborne applications. In 2025, the company was acquired by IonQ, bringing over 75 specialized scientists, engineers, and operators to expand IonQ's quantum technology platform.