Electronics Engineer

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Job Summary

Caltech Optical Observatories is seeking an early-career Electrical Engineer to join an enthusiastic and creative electronics team within the multidisciplinary Optical/Infrared (OIR) instrumentation group. While fostering a community of respect, learning, and individual growth, the OIR group designs, fabricates, and commissions astronomical instrumentation systems for Palomar, Gemini, Keck Observatories, and the planned Thirty-Meter Telescope, as well as developing telescopes in space and the Antarctic. With mentorship from internationally recognized experts, the candidate will contribute to electronic subsystems within state-of-the-art optical and infrared imaging systems and spectrographs to be deployed at the most advanced observatories conducting research in astronomy, cosmology, and planetary science. Duties will include collaborative work with mentorship from senior electronics engineers, in the areas of analog and digital design of low noise data acquisition systems, telemetry, signal transmission and processing, thermal controls, motor drives for precision and/or cryogenic mechanisms. The candidate will perform component procurement, system integration, performance characterization, and commissioning in the field as part of a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists.

Previous and anticipated projects include deployment of ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared detectors in large-format mosaics requiring rapid readout, spectrograph detector systems demanding exquisite noise performance, and fast-frame-rate detectors for adaptive optics (wavefront sensing in both optical and NIR). Our group has received NSF grants to support the development of large-format quantizing CCDs, which do not suffer from the unacceptable readout time of previous implementations. Additionally, the COO team conducts basic research into phenomena affecting the feasibility or design of future space missions and large telescopes, including how device physics limits measurement accuracy. The electronics team has developed novel device characterization and calibration methods to mitigate these sources of systematic errors.

Essential Job Duties

• Analog and digital circuit design for data acquisition, environmental telemetry, thermal controls, and illumination systems, as required for scientific imaging and spectroscopy, with mentorship from more experienced engineers on the team.
• Implementation of motor drives, encoders, and servo control systems, for both room temperature and cryogenic applications.
• Simulation of analog electronics and control systems, with guidance from senior members of the electronics team.
• Schematic capture and printed circuit layout.
• Packaging and enclosure design, ranging from small subassemblies to full thermally controlled electronic racks.
• Working with other team members, troubleshooting, and lifecycle support for electronics and image sensors deployed at Caltech observatories.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or physics with coursework relevant to electrical engineering.
• One or more years of relevant work experience in electronic design, test, or printed circuit layout.
• Sound understanding of analog and/or digital circuit design and component selection.
• Fluency with modern design tools for analog and digital electronics.
• Understanding the best practices for PCB layout.
• Understanding subsystem packaging, cabling, grounding, shielding, and signal transmission.
• Excellent oral and written technical and nontechnical communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills are essential. Must work well within diverse technical and scientific teams.
• Willingness to work with and learn from team members and mentors.
• Willingness to show initiative during design, integration, and testing.
• Occasional travel and work assignments at high altitudes and in low-light environments requires a DMV check and a successful pre-employment physical, including vision screening. Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in integrating mixed hardware/software systems.
• Experience using a common PCB layout tool such as Altium.
• Familiarity with cable harness design, connector selection, and/or the integration of electrical equipment with associated power distribution and thermal management.
• Experience using electrical circuit simulation tools (e.g., Pspice) or other finite difference modelling tools.
• Proficiency in several of the following technical areas: analog circuit design, servo design and tuning, grounding, and packaging of low noise electronics, high-speed analog and digital signal transmission, gate array programming, state machine design, schematic capture, circuit simulation, PCB layout, or operation and testing of cryogenic/vacuum systems.
• Programming in C++, UNIX, Python, Matlab, and familiarity with image processing tools.

The Successful Candidate Will:

• Demonstrate Client Focus: Demonstrate a concern for the needs and expectations of customers (internal or external); respond to formal engineering requirements when making decisions; build strong mutual trust with customers.
• Make Good Decisions: Apply logic and practical thinking to decision making; gather necessary input and data from multiple sources and make objective decisions based on the information and time available; draw correct and reasonable conclusions based on information available; make decisions in a timely manner regardless of pressure or uncertainty; make decisions quickly when called to do so; consider budgetary impact of decisions.
• Clearly Communicate: convey information and ideas clearly and succinctly to individuals and groups; shape communication to the needs of the audience; convey ideas and opinions clearly to others; share relevant information openly, honestly and in a timely fashion; listen attentively to others.
• Build Trusting Partnerships: Develop and leverage collaborative relationships with internal and external colleagues based on mutual trust to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals; work cooperatively with stakeholders to identify and meet mutual goals.
• Demonstrate Technical Knowledge and Skills: Apply technical and professional skills or knowledge in position-related areas; keep up with current developments in areas of expertise.
• Demonstrate Mental Agility/ Flexibility: Be open to changing conditions; adjust one's own behavior considering them; adjust effectively to work within new structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Actively Learn: Demonstrate zeal for new information, knowledge, and experiences; regularly seek and capitalize on learning opportunities; quickly assimilate and apply new information.

COO is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Caltech supports programs that advance our organizational commitment to broaden participation and encourage the advancement of diversity throughout the astronomical scientific workforce.

Required Documents

• Resume.
• Cover Letter.