Kairos Power
Senior I&C Hardware Design Engineer
Job Summary
Kairos Power is seeking an experienced Electronic Hardware Design Engineer responsible for designing and developing electronic systems from concept to production readiness. The role involves circuit design, PCB layout, embedded firmware development, and system integration, with an emphasis on safety, standards compliance, and cybersecurity within nuclear energy contexts. Candidates should have extensive experience in hardware design, embedded software, and familiarity with industry regulations and lifecycle management. The position offers opportunities to work on innovative nuclear technology and collaborate across technical teams to deliver reliable electronic solutions.
Required Skills
Benefits
Job Description
Company Overview
Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.
Job Summary
Kairos Power is seeking a skilled and innovative Electronic Hardware Design Engineer to join our dynamic engineering team. In this role, you will be responsible for conceptualizing, designing, and developing electronic systems from initial idea to production-ready hardware. The ideal candidate will have expertise in circuit design, PCB layout, and board production, coupled with the ability to write embedded software to drive the system. This is a hands-on position for a versatile engineer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering cutting-edge electronic solutions.
Responsibilities
- Collaborates with cross-functional teams to define system requirements and develop electronic system concepts that meet performance, cost, and schedule objectives
- Designs and simulates analog and digital circuits, selecting appropriate components to ensure reliability, efficiency, and adherence to requirements
- Develops detailed PCB layouts, optimizing signal integrity, thermal management, and manufacturability using industry-standard tools
- Oversees PCB fabrication, generate Gerber files, coordinate with manufacturing partners, and validate prototypes through testing and troubleshooting
- Develops, tests, and debugs embedded firmware/software (e.g., C, C++, Python) ensuring effective hardware-software integration and reliable system functionality
- Constructs prototypes, performs comprehensive functional and environmental testing, analyzes results, and iteratively refines designs
- Creates detailed technical documentation, including schematics, bills of materials (BOM), design specifications, and user manuals
- Works closely with mechanical engineering, software development, and product management teams to ensure seamless system integration and successful project outcomes
- Ensures hardware and software designs comply with relevant industry standards (e.g., IPC, UL, FCC) and nuclear industry-specific regulations and safety guidelines
- Cybersecurity Integration: Develops hardware designs considering cybersecurity requirements, ensuring protection against cyber threats in nuclear instrumentation and control systems
- Manages and supports product lifecycle activities, including obsolescence management, design updates, and continuous improvement based on feedback
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in electronic hardware design, including circuit design and PCB development
- Proven track record of taking projects from concept to production
- Experience with embedded software development for microcontrollers (e.g., ARM, PIC, AVR)
- Proficiency in EDA tools such as Altium Designer, Eagle, KiCad, or similar for schematic capture and PCB layout
- Strong knowledge of analog/digital circuit design, signal processing, and power electronics
- Expertise in programming languages like C, C++, or Python for embedded systems
- Familiarity with PCB manufacturing processes and design for manufacturability (DFM)
- Experience with simulation tools (e.g., SPICE, LTspice) and debugging tools (e.g., oscilloscopes, logic analyzers)
- Experience with wireless communication protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee) is preferred
- Knowledge of FPGA design or high-speed digital systems is preferred
- Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) for hardware and software projects is preferred
- Experience working within regulated industries, particularly nuclear energy, or familiarity with nuclear-specific standards (e.g., IEEE nuclear standards, IEC 61508, IEC 61513) strongly preferred.
- Working knowledge or familiarity with cybersecurity standards and practices for instrumentation and control systems.
- Experience with lifecycle management and obsolescence planning for hardware and software products in industrial or nuclear environments.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
- Strong communication skills to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work with highly collaborative team
- Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently
- Prioritizes and ensures safety of one self and others
- Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge
- Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues
Physical Demands
- Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
- Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
- Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
- Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 25 pounds in all directions
- Communicating with others to exchange information
- Use hand tools
- Repetitive assembly operations of manufacturing test fixtures and test setups in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams
Environmental Conditions
- General office environment
- Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
- High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced
Safety and PPE
- Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
Travel
- Travel up to 50% to Alameda, CA headquarters office
Additional Requirements
- Seldomly requires working weekends
- Seldomly requires schedule flexibility
- Seldomly requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines
The salary range for this position is $140,600 to $165,400 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.
About our Benefits
We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:
- Competitive compensation packages
- Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
- Paid Vacation
- 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)
Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.
Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.
Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.
Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810
Kairos Power
Kairos Power's mission is to enable the world's transition to clean energy while improving quality of life and protecting the environment.
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