Job Title: Principal Electrical EngineerJob Description
The Principal Electrical Engineer defines and leads the overall electrical system architecture for complex consumer electronics product lines. This role drives system-level design decisions that balance performance, cost, and manufacturability, while ensuring tight alignment between hardware, software, firmware, and product requirements. The engineer provides cross-functional technical leadership, establishes design standards and long-term technical strategy, and oversees product development from concept through production at a system level.
Responsibilities
Define and lead the overall electrical system architecture for complex hardware product lines, ensuring robust, scalable, and manufacturable designs.
Drive system-level design decisions that balance performance, cost, complexity, reliability, and manufacturability across multiple products.
Architect solutions that integrate SoCs, microcontrollers, sensors, FPGAs, and connectivity systems such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB.
Align hardware architecture closely with software, firmware, and product requirements to ensure cohesive end-to-end system behavior.
Lead cross-functional technical direction across hardware, software, firmware, and product teams, ensuring clear requirements and execution alignment.
Establish and maintain electrical design standards, best practices, and long-term technical strategy for system architecture and implementation.
Oversee product development at a system level from concept, through design and prototyping, into validation, environmental testing, and production.
Guide PCB design activities and reviews, including schematic capture, layout considerations, and design for manufacturability and test.
Use debugging tools and system debug techniques to identify, root-cause, and resolve complex electrical and system-level issues.
Evaluate and communicate tradeoffs between performance, cost, complexity, and schedule to guide product and architecture decisions.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers, fostering strong technical execution and architectural thinking.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to define system requirements, interfaces, and integration plans for new product lines.
Support environmental testing and validation activities to ensure products meet reliability and regulatory requirements.
Contribute to building next-generation hardware platforms from the ground up, including new product categories and multiple product lines.
Essential Skills
Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
Typically 12+ years of experience in electrical engineering or equivalent depth of system-level ownership and architectural impact.
Extensive experience in electrical system design and system architecture for complex hardware products.
Proven ability to define and deliver end-to-end electrical systems from concept through production.
Strong background in SoC architecture, embedded systems, and interface design.
Hands-on experience with PCB design, including schematic capture and layout collaboration.
Proficiency with debugging tools and system debug techniques for complex electrical and mixed hardware/software systems.
Experience integrating microcontrollers, SoCs, sensors, FPGAs, and connectivity systems such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB.
Deep understanding of hardware and software system integration, including cross-functional requirements and constraints.
Demonstrated experience working across cross-functional teams and managing technical requirements.
Expertise in evaluating tradeoffs between cost, complexity, performance, and manufacturability to guide product direction.
Experience in consumer electronics or similarly complex hardware environments.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment with high ownership and evolving priorities.
Strong technical leadership skills with the ability to influence architecture and direction across engineering organizations.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Experience with Altium or similar PCB design tools.
background in environmental testing and validation for hardware products.
Experience working on multiple product lines or new hardware categories.
Track record of establishing design standards, best practices, and long-term technical strategies.
Experience in small, highly technical teams where engineers have broad ownership.
Comfort with hands-on development, rapid iteration, and building systems from the ground up.
Work Environment
This role operates in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities and a strong emphasis on ownership and autonomy at all levels. The team is small, highly technical, and collaborates closely across hardware, software, firmware, and product disciplines. Engineers work in a hands-on development setting focused on building, testing, and iterating on next-generation consumer electronics hardware rather than maintaining legacy systems. The organization offers exposure to multiple product lines and new hardware categories, providing opportunities to make a tangible impact on products that go to market and to influence overall product direction within a lean, non-bureaucratic structure.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Carlsbad, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $100000.00 - $180000.00/yr.
Competitive base salary (level dependent) Equity in the form of stock options Health and vision benefits Opportunity to work on high-impact hardware products
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Carlsbad,CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jun 10, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
