Electrical Engineer Contract Jobs in Riverside, CA

You'll lead the design and integration of complex electrical and electromechanical systems that power next-generation products-spanning actuator drives, power electronics, avionics communication, energy management, and other high-performance technologies.

This is a hands-on, highly collaborative role for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of architecture and execution-someone who can translate requirements into robust, manufacturable, certifiable hardware and drive it from concept to production release and shipment. Your work will support demanding systems across aerospace, transportation, robotics, and advanced mobility.

Why This Role Matters:

You'll be a technical anchor for production-intent electrical hardware-helping teams move faster without sacrificing reliability, safety, or manufacturability.

Key contributions include:

• Lead system architecture and integration across complex, multi-domain programs.
• Own electrical subsystems end-to-end-from concept, through validation, to production release.
• Design and develop power electronics, embedded digital, and mixed-signal hardware using industry-standard ECAD tools (Altium, Cadence, or equivalent).
• Drive DFM/DFT/DFC/DFA/Cost decisions early, ensuring designs scale cleanly into manufacturing.
• Create robust schematics and guide PCB layout, with strong signal integrity and EMI/EMC discipline, and produce production-ready documentation.
• Architect and implement communication bus physical layers (CAN and other aviation buses) for fault-tolerant, certifiable avionics data communication.
• Partner with suppliers and contract manufacturers to support prototype builds, first-article inspections, and production ramp.
• Define validation and test strategy, including ICT, boundary scan, functional test coverage, ESS, and production yield metrics.
• Support lab bring-up and integration, troubleshooting issues, running root-cause investigations, and iterating designs quickly.
• Perform electrical analysis (SPICE simulation, power-stage evaluation, signal integrity, thermal interaction with mechanical systems, EMI mitigation).
• Participate in design reviews to ensure system-level performance, safety, reliability, manufacturability, and cost targets are met.
• Get hands-on during board bring-up, system integration, and hardware testing.

What you'll Bring:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in developing and shipping complex electronic hardware.
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field preferred; relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree
• Strong proficiency with Altium (or comparable ECAD tools).
• Deep understanding of schematic capture, PCB layout practices, stack-up definition, grounding strategy, EMI/EMC mitigation, and production-level release documentation.
• Demonstrated experience taking electronic assemblies into production and shipping hardware.
• Experience across multiple hardware domains, such as:
  • Power electronics and motor drives
  • Embedded digital and microcontroller-based systems\
  • Sensor interfacing and mixed-signal design
  • Communication bus physical layers (CAN, RS-485, ARINC, or similar)
• Experience working directly with suppliers/CMs to industrialize boards and resolve yield, test coverage, tolerance, and quality issues.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing test strategies (ICT, functional test development, fixture design, environmental qualification, SPC).
• Strong cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.
• Engineers who ship-not just design.
• Strong first-principles thinking paired with practical execution.
• Comfortable hands-on in lab and production environments.
• Bias toward action in fast-moving, hardware-focused teams.
• Ability to balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Collaborative, systems-level mindset.

Preferred Skills:

• Aerospace or aviation systems experience.
• Background in fast-iteration, high-performance industries (automotive, consumer hardware, racing, robotics, etc.).
• Familiarity with DO-254, DO-160, ARP4754B, ARP4761, or similar regulated development environments.
• MATLAB, Python, or scripting for analysis, automation, or test development.
• Electric propulsion, actuator drive systems, or high-reliability embedded hardware.

Why Join Us:

• Work alongside elite engineering talent and innovators from across aerospace and tech.
• Be part of a team moving faster than the industry standard.
• Shape solutions that are lower-cost, autonomous, and scalable - the future of aviation.
• Competitive compensation, including equity participation, growth opportunities, and full heath benefits (health, vision, dental, 401K) designed to support you in and out of work.