Freelance Instrumentation Field Engineer Jobs in California

Amentum is seeking a motivated and technically capable Electrical/Mechanical Integration Field Engineer to join our engineering team based in China Lake, CA. This is a hands-on, multifaceted role that blends electrical troubleshooting, mechanical installation support, field execution, engineering design review, wiring documentation, test support, and technician mentorship. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical foundation, preferably supported by a STEM degree, and direct experience working with fielded hardware that includes electrical systems, low-voltage circuits, sensors, wiring harnesses, connectors, mechanical interfaces, brackets, enclosures, mounting hardware, and instrumentation. This role requires someone who can work from schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical drawings, interface control documents, and field work instructions to support installation, checkout, fault isolation, corrective action, and configuration updates. This is not a desk-only engineering role. The Field Engineer must be comfortable troubleshooting electrical systems while also supporting the practical mechanical work required to install, align, mount, route, protect, inspect, and sustain fielded hardware. This position offers a rare opportunity to apply disciplined engineering judgment in a real-world operational setting while contributing to wiring documentation, mechanical integration, technical reviews, field execution, and the development of junior technical personnel. This team supports multiple U.S. Navy research and development facilities associated with high-priority submarine weapon system development programs. These facilities are one-of-a-kind and provide capabilities not commonly available elsewhere in the Department of Defense. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and is willing to tackle problems that span the hardware lifecycle. Job Duties and Responsibilities: * Field Engineering, Electrical Troubleshooting, and Mechanical Integration * Perform hands-on electrical installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of low-voltage systems, sensors, wiring harnesses, connectors, instrumentation, and associated field hardware. * Support mechanical installation and integration activities involving brackets, panels, enclosures, equipment mounts, sensor mounts, cable supports, conduit, raceways, junction boxes, and related hardware. * Interpret and work from wiring diagrams, electrical schematics, harness drawings, mechanical drawings, interface drawings, installation drawings, and field work instructions to support installation, verification, and fault isolation. * Conduct electrical and mechanical inspections to verify that installed hardware conforms to design intent, drawing requirements, interface requirements, safety standards, and field installation constraints. * Troubleshoot complex low-voltage circuits, signal paths, sensor networks, grounding issues, connector issues, intermittent faults, and instrumentation anomalies using appropriate test equipment including multimeters, oscilloscopes, continuity testers, signal analyzers, and data acquisition tools. * Assist with fit checks, alignment checks, hardware walkdowns, cable-routing assessments, connector-access evaluations, and field verification of mechanical and electrical interfaces. * Identify and resolve electrical, mechanical, and integration-related issues in the field using sound engineering judgment and disciplined problem-solving methodology. * Document field observations, discrepancies, corrective actions, redlines, as-built conditions, test results, and recommended engineering updates accurately and thoroughly in accordance with program requirements. * Engineering Design, Documentation, and Review * Participate in the development, review, and approval of electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, harness drawings, mechanical installation drawings, interface drawings, and technical specifications. * Support design change processes by evaluating proposed electrical and mechanical modifications for technical feasibility, fit, form, function, signal integrity, safety, maintainability, and compliance with applicable standards. * Collaborate with senior engineers and design teams to translate field findings into actionable design improvements, drawing updates, installation changes, and configuration-controlled documentation. * Generate and review work packages, test procedures, installation instructions, troubleshooting guides, and technical instructions to ensure accuracy and completeness prior to field execution. * Review mechanical and electrical integration details, including cable routing, connector access, equipment mounting, sensor placement, enclosure layout, strain relief, grounding and bonding provisions, and maintainability. * Apply knowledge of relevant standards, workmanship expectations, and safety practices during drawing reviews, design evaluations, troubleshooting activities, and field execution. * Technician Mentorship and Team Development * Serve as a technical resource and on-the-job mentor for field technicians, supporting skill development in electrical systems, mechanical integration, safe wiring practices, hardware installation, troubleshooting discipline, and professional growth. * Provide guidance on proper termination techniques, cable management, harness routing, connector handling, sensor installation, mounting practices, strain relief, and field workmanship expectations. * Promote a culture of continuous improvement, precision, safety, accountability, and disciplined problem-solving within the field team. * Assist in developing training materials, wiring standards references, installation guidance, troubleshooting guides, and work instructions to support technician competency and repeatable field execution. * Help technicians understand not only how to execute tasks, but why installation quality, documentation accuracy, configuration control, and troubleshooting discipline matter to overall system performance. * Collaboration and Communication * Coordinate with project managers, engineers, designers, technicians, vendors, and operations staff to plan and execute electrical and mechanical field work efficiently and safely. * Communicate clearly with stakeholders on schedule, technical findings, electrical and mechanical system status, field constraints, test results, and project progress. * Support post-work reviews, lessons-learned sessions, discrepancy reviews, and corrective-action planning to drive process, documentation, and installation improvements. * Help ensure that field observations and lessons learned are fed back into engineering documentation, drawings, work packages, troubleshooting procedures, and future design updates. Required Qualifications * Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline preferred, with emphasis in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Science, or a related technical field. Equivalent hands-on technical experience may be considered in lieu of degree. * 3-12 years of hands-on field engineering, electrical troubleshooting, instrumentation, test, maintenance, installation, or hardware-integration experience in a relevant technical environment. * Must be able to obtain and maintain a US Government Secret Clearance. Please note US Citizenship is required to obtain a Secret Clearance. * Demonstrated experience troubleshooting electrical systems, low-voltage circuits, wiring harnesses, sensors, connectors, signal paths, grounding issues, continuity faults, intermittent failures, or instrumentation anomalies. * Demonstrated ability to support hands-on mechanical integration tasks such as equipment installation, sensor mounting, bracket installation, enclosure installation, cable routing, hardware fit checks, and field modification support. * Ability to read and interpret wiring diagrams, electrical schematics, harness drawings, mechanical drawings, interface drawings, technical specifications, and field work instructions. * Proficiency with standard electrical test and measurement equipment, including multimeters, oscilloscopes, continuity testers, signal analyzers, data acquisition tools, or similar equipment. * Working knowledge of low-voltage electrical systems, sensor interfaces, signal wiring, connectors, cable harnesses, termination practices, and basic fault-isolation techniques. * Working familiarity with mechanical hardware installation practices, including fasteners, brackets, mounts, access constraints, cable management, strain relief, alignment, fit checks, and field redline documentation. * Ability to document troubleshooting steps, field observations, discrepancies, test results, corrective actions, as-built conditions, and engineering recommendations clearly and accurately. * Ability to work in field environments, including outdoor, industrial, laboratory, or test-site settings as required. * Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with engineers, technicians, project managers, vendors, and operations personnel. Preferred Qualifications: * Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline, particularly Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Science, or a closely related field. * Experience troubleshooting and integrating ruggedized electrical/mechanical systems in aerospace, defense, shipboard, test facility, industrial, energy, or other high-consequence environments. * Experience supporting installation, checkout, and troubleshooting of sensors, instrumentation, control systems, data acquisition systems, cable harnesses, equipment racks, junction boxes, enclosures, and field-mounted hardware. * Experience mentoring or supervising technicians or junior engineering personnel in electrical, instrumentation, test, mechanical integration, o