Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy · 20 hours ago
Senior Electrical Engineer
Boulder, CO
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$130K/yr - $165K/yr
10+ years expThe Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy is looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to play a critical role in delivering the Next-generation Global Observing Network Group (ngGONG). This role involves leading the design and development of electrical and electronic systems to ensure operational reliability and safety across observatory sites.
Non Profit
Hiring Manager
Angel Romo
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain a deep understanding of ngGONG scientific requirements, system specifications, design standards, and interfaces, translating them into electrical and electronic system architectures
Lead electrical and electronic engineering design from concept through final design, including power distribution, controls, instrumentation, detector electronics, safety systems, and observatory support systems
Define and maintain the overall electrical and electronics architecture, including site utility interfaces, power distribution, grounding and bonding, lightning protection, facility power, rack distribution, and observatory subsystems
Design architectures for power distribution, UPS and backup power, power conditioning, controls, instrumentation, and electronics that meet performance, reliability, safety, and availability requirements
Define and oversee UPS, power quality, and power conditioning strategies for telescopes, instruments, critical IT/electronics, and infrastructure, including redundancy, ride-through, and monitoring
Lead or contribute to control, servo, and PLC-based system design, including control strategies, drive and I/O architectures, and subsystem interfaces
Lead the design and standardization of electronic racks and enclosures, including power distribution, safety interlocks, grounding and shielding, cable management, environmental monitoring, and serviceability
Perform and oversee engineering analyses and simulations to verify system performance, reliability, and compliance with requirements and applicable codes
Identify technical risks, tradeoffs, and innovation opportunities to improve performance, constructability, maintainability, and lifecycle cost
Initiate and guide engineering studies, simulations, and technology evaluations to support major design decisions
Solve complex electrical and electronic engineering problems, including challenges involving multi-site and international constraints
Manage assigned electrical/electronic work packages, including scope definition, schedule coordination, cost input, and delivery of technical documentation
Coordinate interfaces with mechanical, optical, thermal, software, civil, and facilities engineering disciplines, as well as site owners and utilities
Define electrical and electronics requirements for buildings and site utilities, and provide technical oversight of A&E deliverables
Participate in formal design reviews, providing clear documentation, recommendations, and closure of assigned actions
Support integration, testing, commissioning, operations, and maintenance concepts, including remote diagnostics and monitoring
Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, safety requirements, and environmental and heritage constraints across all sites
Establish and maintain electrical and electronics design standards and ensure compliance across internal and contracted work
Prepare and review drawings, specifications, analyses, schematics, rack layouts, and technical documentation suitable for construction and commissioning
Communicate technical progress, risks, and design outcomes clearly to project leadership and stakeholders
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering or a related field
10–15 years of progressively responsible experience in electrical/electronic system design for complex technical systems
Demonstrated experience in system architecture, analysis, and design for large-scale or high-precision systems
Familiarity with applicable electrical, controls, and safety codes and standards
Working knowledge of PLC-based control systems and servo/control design concepts
Experience with analog and digital circuit design, including PCB design and layout
Experience with high-, medium-, and low-power distribution systems (e.g., 208/480 VAC three-phase)
Ability to independently resolve complex engineering problems using advanced methods
Experience with electrical and electronics test and analysis equipment
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners
Preferred
Master's degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering and/or PE or Chartered Engineer credential
Experience leading electrical design for large scientific, research, or astronomical facilities
Advanced control system design experience, including servo optimization and tuning
Experience with PLC platforms such as Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff, Delta Tau, or similar
Experience with Siemens SINAMICS or comparable drive systems
Experience with MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent modeling tools
Familiarity with motion control platforms (e.g., Delta Tau, PI)
Experience with CAD/ECAD tools (e.g., EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, Altium)
Experience developing documentation for construction, integration, and commissioning
Experience with optical detector systems (CCD/CMOS and/or infrared)
Proven technical or work-package leadership experience
Company
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
AURA is a consortium of 40 US institutions and 6 international affiliates that operates world-class astronomical observatories.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (13)
2024 (13)
2023 (9)
2022 (14)
2021 (10)
2020 (11)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Jack Tade, CPA
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Theresa H.
Human Resources Business Partner
Recent News
2025-09-19
2025-08-08
2025-07-25
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