Research Engineer in Embedded Systems and Digital Design

Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is essential to innovation and creativity for continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range
$103,290.00  - $139,128.00  Annually for the SES.1 level
$123,960.00  - $166,992.00  Annually for the SES.2 level
Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

Job Description

We have an opening for an Embedded Systems and Digital Design Engineer to support the Flight Test Group. The Flight Test Group is a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary team that specializes in rapid development of reliable in-field deployable assets including autonomous rafts, UAS, and camera systems. You will be well-rounded with a broad range of knowledge and engineering experience but also have specific experience with embedded systems and digital design, validation, and deployment. You will be responsible for the entire life cycle of the product, from design to deployment in order to ensure mission success. This position is in the Defense Technologies Engineering Division (DTED), within the Engineering Directorate. DTED provides support to the Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) Programs.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.

In this role you will 

• Design, build, and deploy embedded systems for use during flight testing.
• Write embedded software in either C or C++ that leverages an RTOS and interfaces with an FPGA and many external peripherals.
• Test and validate software through unit testing, automated testing, and system testing.
• Create digital hardware designs on FPGAs in VHDL or Verilog.
• Perform testing and checkout activities on assets in preparation for missions.
• Participate in mission execution which can require extended travel of 2 to 4 weeks in remote locations.
• Contribute to hardware documentation efforts, including asset user manuals, operating procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Provide engineering support as needed within the Flight Test Group for relevant projects.
• Plan, conduct, and evaluate testing activities including field tests, demonstrations, subsystems tests, etc.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.2 level 

• Apply relevant professional experience to significantly enhance the Flight Test Group’s hardware suite.
• May provide guidance in various activities including planning, technical resource management, recruitment of staff, informal technical mentorship, direction of work, and may work closely with Flight Test customers and sponsors to secure contracts and funding.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Knowledge of embedded systems programming in either C or C++. Knowledge of FPGA designs in VHDL or Verilog.
• Knowledge of data structures and algorithms in embedded systems. Ability to identify, isolate, and resolve problems on embedded systems.
• Fundamental knowledge and ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to electrical systems, including reading schematics, using electrical test equipment, and using soldering equipment.
• Ability to perform duties under stress due to time constraints, harsh environmental conditions (rain, full sun, etc.), and limited resources. Ability to work productively in a variety of work environments including office settings, workshops, mobile trailers, and in remote outdoor field environments.
• Sufficient verbal and written communication skills to collaborate effectively with team and document hardware issues, procedures, etc.
• Adaptable, detail-oriented, and comfortable working on a small cross-disciplinary team; willingness to learn and perform work duties in a fast-paced, fast-changing environment.
• Ability to travel for extended durations of 2 to 4 weeks, approximately two to four times each year, in remote locations.

Additional qualifications at the SES.2 level

• Broad experience designing, fabricating, and troubleshooting moderately complex to complex embedded systems designs.
• Comprehensive knowledge testing embedded systems, including software, digital hardware, FPGAs, and circuits.

Qualifications We Desire

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineer, or Computer Science or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Experience with Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS).
• Ability to write testbenches or other verification methods for FPGAs.
• Experience with circuit design on PCBs.

Additional Information

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
• Our core beliefs - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values 
• Employee engagement - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance.  If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing.  Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship. 

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Pre-Placement Medical Exam

A job related pre-placement medical examination may be required.

Beware of Fraudulent Job Postings. LLNL’s hiring practices:

• Never requires job applicants to pay an application/training fee or submit personal documents like bank account details, passport number, Social Security number, tax forms or credit card information as part of the application process. 
• For interviews and to be granted access to a Federal facility, a LLNL employee will contact you directly to collect visa, passport number, and/or Social Security number.  To vet the authenticity of the employee please have them provide you their name and phone number and verify at people.llnl.gov.
• Involves at least one interview (virtual or in-person) and never interviews job applicants through chat platforms such as Google Hangouts, or via correspondence through text and instant messaging systems.
• Only sends email communications to job applicants from domain “@llnl.gov” or via their applicant tracking system, [email protected]. Occasionally LLNL uses third-party vendors that will contact you about job opportunities.  If a recruiter contacts you to apply, you will always be directed to our career page to apply through our career site.
• Encourages all applicants to visit LLNL’s careers page at www.llnl.gov/join-our-team/careers if they saw the job posting on another site prior to applying to ensure the job posting is accurate and valid.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.