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Defense Electrical Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Scout AI

Electrical Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI ... The Role We're looking for an Electrical Engineer who is excited about working on a variety of ...

Scout AI

Electrical Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$130K - $280K/yr

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI ... The Role We're looking for an Electrical Engineer who is excited about working on a variety of ...

Salient Motion

Electrical Engineer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$120K - $140K/yr

... Defense. If you're excited about disrupting legacy industries, and passionate about building next ... Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering degree * 3+ years of ...

Salient Motion

Electrical Engineer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$120K - $140K/yr

... Defense. If you're excited about disrupting legacy industries, and passionate about building next ... Bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering; or other engineering degree * 3+ years of ...

Booz Allen Hamilton

Electrical Engineer

Roseville, CA · On-site

$77K - $176K/yr

As an Electrical Engineer on our team, you'll work on the development of advanced systems across ... Take on exciting challenges in defense and warfighting with us as we support advanced technologies ...

Booz Allen Hamilton

Electrical Engineer

Roseville, CA · On-site

$77K - $176K/yr

Electrical Engineer The Opportunity: As an Electrical Engineer on our team, you'llwork on ... Take on exciting challenges in defense and warfighting with us as we support advanced technologies ...

GITAI

Electrical Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

Who We Are GITAI is a vertically integrated space and defense company building the next generation ... Your Mission As a Electrical Engineer at GITAI, you will own board-level electrical hardware design ...

GITAI

Electrical Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Who We Are GITAI is a vertically integrated space and defense company building the next generation ... Your Mission As a Electrical Engineer at GITAI, you will own board-level electrical hardware design ...

Trident Maritime Systems

Electrical Engineer

Jamul, CA · On-site

Job Title: Electrical Engineer Department: Engineering FLSA : Exempt Location: San Diego, CA ... Desire marine industry (commercial or defense) experience * Ability to make interference control ...

GITAI

Electrical Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Your Mission As a Electrical Engineer at GITAI, you will own board-level electrical hardware design for spacecraft, robotic systems, and space defense programs, including interceptor-related systems.

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsDefense Electrical Engineer JobsDefense Electrical Engineer Jobs in California

Defense Electrical Engineer information

What is a defense electrical engineer?

Defense Electrical Engineers are specialized professionals who design, develop, test, and oversee the manufacturing of electrical equipment used in military and defense applications. Their work often involves creating advanced electronic systems for communication, surveillance, navigation, and weapons systems that must meet rigorous safety and reliability standards. These engineers collaborate with other defense professionals and must stay up-to-date with evolving technologies and security requirements. Their expertise is critical to ensuring the effectiveness and safety of defense systems in challenging environments.

What are some common challenges faced by defense electrical engineers when working on military projects?

Defense Electrical Engineers often navigate complex challenges such as adhering to strict security protocols, meeting rigorous performance and reliability standards, and integrating cutting-edge technologies within legacy defense systems. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams—including mechanical engineers, software developers, and project managers—is essential for ensuring that designs meet project specifications and regulatory compliance. Additionally, they may face tight deadlines and the need to rapidly adapt to evolving defense requirements, making strong problem-solving and communication skills crucial.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a defense electrical engineer?

To thrive as a Defense Electrical Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering principles, circuit design, and systems analysis, typically supported by a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering. Familiarity with technical tools such as MATLAB, CAD software, and industry-specific standards, as well as security clearance and certifications like PE (Professional Engineer), are often required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills are essential soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure the development of reliable, secure, and innovative defense solutions that meet stringent safety and regulatory requirements.

What is the difference between Defense Electrical Engineer vs Defense Systems Engineer?

AspectDefense Electrical EngineerDefense Systems Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in Electrical Engineering, security clearance often requiredBachelor's or higher in Systems Engineering, security clearance often required
Work EnvironmentDesigning electrical components, circuits, and systems for defense applicationsIntegrating and managing complex defense systems, including electrical and software components
Industry UsagePrimarily in electrical hardware development for defense projectsInvolved in system-level integration across multiple engineering disciplines

Defense Electrical Engineers focus on designing and developing electrical hardware and systems for defense applications, while Defense Systems Engineers oversee the integration of various subsystems, including electrical, software, and mechanical components. Both roles require security clearances and collaborate closely in defense projects, but their core responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What are popular job titles related to Defense Electrical Engineer jobs in California? For Defense Electrical Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Defense Electrical Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Defense Electrical Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Defense Electrical Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Defense Electrical Engineer job openings:
Defense Electrical Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Defense Electrical Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution.

Electrical Engineer

Scout AI

Sunnyvale, CA

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Re-posted 11 days ago

Job description

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we're developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.

The Role
We're looking for an Electrical Engineer who is excited about working on a variety of different projects, designing, bringing up and validating electronics for a range of vehicle platforms. This role will include a mix of rapid prototyping electronics for standing up new platforms and longer term production designs for better manufacturability, better performance, smaller form factor and ease of integration.

You'll work with experienced engineers across hardware, robotics, and AI to ensure sensor data is accurate, stable, and production-ready. We're a startup. You'll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.

Responsibilities

  • Design, bring up, and implement PCBAs
  • Define system electrical architecture
  • Work closely with mechanical engineers to effectively integrate electronics into systems
  • Work closely with software and firmware engineers to ensure ease of bring up and implementation
  • Procure electrical components, PCBs, and PCBAs
  • Assemble and rework PCBAs and basic wiring harnesses
  • Work with voltage regulators, microcontrollers, compute SoMs, mixed and high speed signals
  • Troubleshoot integration issues with software and mechanical engineers
  • Contribute to building the team and shaping the road map

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience designing, testing and ramping up manufacturing of PCBAs
  • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
  • Strong fundamentals in schematic capture, layout and circuit design
  • Strong skills with PCBA design tools such as Altium Designer
  • Strong skills with electronic test equipment (Oscilloscopes, Bench Supplies, DMM, etc.)
  • Experience working with hardware interfaces like SPI, I2C, or UART and high speed interfaces such as PCIe, MIPI CSI
  • Strong debugging mindset and attention to detail
  • Interest in robotics, embedded systems, or hardware-adjacent software
  • Nice to have: PCBA manufacturing experience (hand assembly, rework, SMT/through hole)
  • Nice to have: Experience with producing PCBAs in large quantities
  • Nice to have: Experience with high rate electrical test
  • Nice to have: Firmware development/basic MCU bring up experience (C or C++)
  • Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
  • Passion about defense of the United States and its allies
  • May be expected to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Why Join Scout

  • Work on the world's most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
  • Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
  • Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
  • See your work deployed on real systems
  • Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
  • Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors

Benefits

  • Competitive base salary and bonus
  • Meaningful equity
  • Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
  • Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
  • Unlimited AI tokens
  • Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
  • EV charging
  • Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

Apply