Senior Electrical Engineer

About the role

Are you a skilled Senior Electrical Engineer with a passion for innovation and a knack for solving complex problems? We are looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer to join our dynamic Research and Development team. You'll have the exciting opportunity to collaborate with an awesome group of R&D gurus in the areas of firmware, electronics, mechanical, software, systems, sensor engineering, as well as oceanography at the forefront of oceanographic sensors and systems development. We are seeking a hands-on problem solver who can work independently, take responsibility, and deliver high-quality work. As a key member of a small team of technical experts, you must be dedicated, an effective communicator, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Your ability to develop products with mixed-signal, very low power and low noise board-level designs will allow you to make a real and positive contribution to RBR products and for our customers. This role is on-site, based out of our Ottawa head office.

What you’ll do

• Design, implement and bring through to production, board-level electronics for RBR's product lines

• Design and develop mixed-signal, very low-power, low-noise circuits

• Design of analog front-end and signal-processing circuits

• Design low-noise, high-efficiency voltage regulators

• Analyze system design trade-offs to optimize for conflicting requirements

• Translate design specifications into functional electrical designs

• Create detailed technical specifications and prototype verification plans

• Contribute to overall architecture and feature design, ensuring design quality and product integrity for products released to production

• Provide first-line support to production/assembly for electronics-related issues and second-line support to resolve customer issues

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, managing multiple priorities and product design needs

• As a senior team member, lead by example, sharing recommendations and supporting a collaborative, high-performing work environment

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent

• At least 10 years of work experience in a board-level circuit design

• Analog and mixed-signal design experience, with at least 5 years of demonstrated work experience

• Solid experience with a professional PCB Design ECAD tool such as Altium Designer, OrCAD, Design Entry HDL. Working-level experience/familiarity with Altium Designer is required

• Strong experience using spice-based circuit simulation tools such as LTspice

• Solid understanding of power supply architectures and design principles, with at least 2 years of demonstrated work experience

• Experience in the implementation of interfaces to thermistors, resistive bridge-based sensors, photodiodes, LEDs and other transducers

• Strong understanding of common electrical communication interfaces such as RS-232, RS-485, I2C, I3C, SPI, USB, Ethernet, SDIO, etc.

• Good understanding of general PCB Layout principles and techniques

• Demonstrated abilities in debugging electronic and system-level issues using lab equipment such as high-speed oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, etc.

• Familiarity with embedded firmware development for modern low-power microcontrollers, such as STM32L/U Series Arm-Cortex Based MCUs

• Familiarity with DFT, DFM and DFA concepts for PCBAs

• Ability to thrive in an interrupt-driven environment, effectively managing multiple concurrent projects and dynamically shifting priorities to meet the evolving needs of both our customers and RBR

• Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills, adept at collaborating within cross-functional teams and mentoring colleagues across technical and non-technical skills

• Exhibits sound professional judgment and navigates complex scenarios, consistently supporting organizational objectives through effective project management and execution

Nice to haves

• Strong proficiency with Altium Designer is highly preferred

• Solid understanding of high-speed PCB design principles

• Familiarity with design techniques for EMI mitigation

• Familiarity with BLE and Wi-Fi

• Familiarity with RF/EMC compliance testing process for FCC/IC, CE, etc

• Experience in the development of precision scientific or oceanographic instruments

• Experience working in a small company environment

• Familiarity with Jira/Confluence

About RBR

Since 1973, RBR has been designing and manufacturing oceanographic instruments in Ottawa, Ontario to measure our blue planet. The effects of climate change are being seen from the ocean’s abyss to the polar ice caps and our sensors quantify this change to support better analysis, improved planning, and more effective mitigation strategies. Our instruments measure water parameters in some of the harshest environments on the planet! They are mounted on underwater drones, dropped out of planes, and sent to the bottom of the ocean – sometimes for years at a time – all in an effort to get precise and accurate data to support climate research! We have been fortunate to be able to partner with some of the world's leaders in the field of ocean science, like Fisheries and Oceans Canada, The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Norwegian Polar Institute, and The British Antarctic Survey, just to name a few!

At RBR, our people care about the environment, our community, their work, and - of course - each other! We value curiosity, experimentation, and doing the right thing, and while we do some serious work to support world-changing science, we don’t take ourselves too seriously – we like to let our hair down and cut loose too!

Why you'll love working at RBR

• 🌴 20 days of vacation, plus a company-wide holiday shutdown and paid sick days

• ⏰ Work from wherever Wednesdays (most roles eligible)

• 🩺 Benefits from day 1 & RRSP contribution matching

• 💰 Bonus program

• 🏋🏽 Annual fitness reimbursement program

• 🚴 Greener commuting incentive program (bike-to-work, carpool, or transit passes)

• 🚗 EV reimbursement program + on-site charging stations

• 💝 Charitable donation matching

• 🌮 Monthly Friday lunches (on us)!

• 🎉 Team events and social activities

• 🤝 Collaborative, supportive work environment

• 🧠 Work alongside passionate experts spanning multiple disciplines

• 🌊 Direct impact on climate science and ocean research

At RBR, we celebrate and support diversity in our workplace, we are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We seek to recruit the best and most talented people for the job. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.