Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington
Electrical systems engineer jobs in Washington are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing, with demand running from entry-level design roles through senior principal engineers. The heaviest hiring is in the Seattle metro, the Puget Sound corridor, and the Tri-Cities region, where Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have long-standing engineering workforces. The most in-demand specialties right now are power systems design, avionics, and control systems integration. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.
Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.
The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to take on complex, real-world threats to our nation and the world.
The Physical Detection Systems and Deployment Division (PDSD), part of NSD, delivers policy-informed technology solutions by removing barriers to real-world implementation. We strive to understand end-user environments to transition technology from the developmental stage to deployment. Our diverse expertise in operational systems provides tools, technologies, and approaches for combating a range of threats, both at home and in more than 100 countries around the globe.
The Disruptive Technology group, part of PDSD, supports national-security missions requiring instrumentation, control systems, data acquisition, measurement science, and technical problem solving across physics and engineering applications.
Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.
- Research Associates excluded.
**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.
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This role will also support nuclear event monitoring and related deployable measurement-system activities, including next-generation in-field gas analysis systems for detection and characterization of radioactive noble gases.
The successful candidate will be expected to learn the technical mission area, execute hands-on engineering work, and grow into a project-facing technical contributor who can interact with sponsors and support higher-level technical planning.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop, review, and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, interface definitions, and configuration-controlled technical documentation for prototype and deployed instrumentation systems.
- Design, implement, and troubleshoot control-system hardware for integrated gas-processing systems.
- Troubleshoot low-voltage and high-voltage electrical circuits, instrument wiring, sensor interfaces, power distribution, grounding, noise, and system integration issues in laboratory and deployment-like environments.
- Support electromechanical system development, assembly, verification, commissioning, field-readiness activities, field deployment support, and post-test troubleshooting.
- Connect measurement-system needs with practical engineering outputs, including subsystem requirements, test plans, acceptance criteria, and corrective-action recommendations.
- Analyze operational and experimental data to diagnose system performance, identify failure modes, and recommend design or process improvements.
- Contribute to automation, maintainability, throughput, consumables reduction, and measurement-efficiency improvements for next-generation deployable detection systems.
- Coordinate with scientists, software engineers, mechanical engineers, technicians, project managers, and sponsors to deliver safe, reliable, and mission-relevant technical outcomes.
- Prepare figures, test summaries, engineering notes, technical reports, and presentation materials for internal project reviews, sponsor discussions, and technical decision-making.
- Operate with high standards for quality, safety, security, conduct of research, and protection of sensitive information.
This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence Monday through Friday.
- BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
- MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
- PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience
- Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Systems Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
- Experience designing, documenting, integrating, and troubleshooting control systems or instrumentation hardware.
- Hands-on experience with prototype wiring, sensors, signal conditioning, DAQ interfaces, power supplies, relays, interlocks, electrical safety practices, and laboratory troubleshooting.
- Working knowledge of electromechanical systems involving gas handling, vacuum systems, compressors, valves, detectors, embedded controllers, PLCs, or automated test systems.
- Ability to translate ambiguous system behavior into structured troubleshooting plans, test procedures, data reviews, and corrective actions.
- Experience supporting fieldable or deployable systems, including configuration management, maintainability, verification, and operational-readiness activities.
- Competence with data analysis or scripting tools such as Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or equivalent tools.
- Interest in advancing measurement systems through practical use of automation, AI/ML-enabled diagnostics where appropriate, new sensors, and emerging technologies.
- Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to explain technical findings to project teams, sponsors, and non-specialist stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary science and engineering teams.
Not applicable.
Additional Information:This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct.
Requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
- Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).
Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.
Testing Designated Position (TDP):This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.
About PNNL:At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov.
If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn.
For foreign national candidates:
At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.
Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.
The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to take on complex, real-world threats to our nation and the world.
The Physical Detection Systems and Deployment Division (PDSD), part of NSD, delivers policy-informed technology solutions by removing barriers to real-world implementation. We strive to understand end-user environments to transition technology from the developmental stage to deployment. Our diverse expertise in operational systems provides tools, technologies, and approaches for combating a range of threats, both at home and in more than 100 countries around the globe.
The Disruptive Technology group, part of PDSD, supports national-security missions requiring instrumentation, control systems, data acquisition, measurement science, and technical problem solving across physics and engineering applications.
Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.
- Research Associates excluded.
**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.
Click Here For Rockstar Rewards
This role will also support nuclear event monitoring and related deployable measurement-system activities, including next-generation in-field gas analysis systems for detection and characterization of radioactive noble gases.
The successful candidate will be expected to learn the technical mission area, execute hands-on engineering work, and grow into a project-facing technical contributor who can interact with sponsors and support higher-level technical planning.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop, review, and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, interface definitions, and configuration-controlled technical documentation for prototype and deployed instrumentation systems.
- Design, implement, and troubleshoot control-system hardware for integrated gas-processing systems.
- Troubleshoot low-voltage and high-voltage electrical circuits, instrument wiring, sensor interfaces, power distribution, grounding, noise, and system integration issues in laboratory and deployment-like environments.
- Support electromechanical system development, assembly, verification, commissioning, field-readiness activities, field deployment support, and post-test troubleshooting.
- Connect measurement-system needs with practical engineering outputs, including subsystem requirements, test plans, acceptance criteria, and corrective-action recommendations.
- Analyze operational and experimental data to diagnose system performance, identify failure modes, and recommend design or process improvements.
- Contribute to automation, maintainability, throughput, consumables reduction, and measurement-efficiency improvements for next-generation deployable detection systems.
- Coordinate with scientists, software engineers, mechanical engineers, technicians, project managers, and sponsors to deliver safe, reliable, and mission-relevant technical outcomes.
- Prepare figures, test summaries, engineering notes, technical reports, and presentation materials for internal project reviews, sponsor discussions, and technical decision-making.
- Operate with high standards for quality, safety, security, conduct of research, and protection of sensitive information.
This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence Monday through Friday.
- BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
- MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
- PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience
- Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Systems Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
- Experience designing, documenting, integrating, and troubleshooting control systems or instrumentation hardware.
- Hands-on experience with prototype wiring, sensors, signal conditioning, DAQ interfaces, power supplies, relays, interlocks, electrical safety practices, and laboratory troubleshooting.
- Working knowledge of electromechanical systems involving gas handling, vacuum systems, compressors, valves, detectors, embedded controllers, PLCs, or automated test systems.
- Ability to translate ambiguous system behavior into structured troubleshooting plans, test procedures, data reviews, and corrective actions.
- Experience supporting fieldable or deployable systems, including configuration management, maintainability, verification, and operational-readiness activities.
- Competence with data analysis or scripting tools such as Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or equivalent tools.
- Interest in advancing measurement systems through practical use of automation, AI/ML-enabled diagnostics where appropriate, new sensors, and emerging technologies.
- Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to explain technical findings to project teams, sponsors, and non-specialist stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary science and engineering teams.
Not applicable.
Additional Information:This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct.
Requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
- Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).
Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.
Testing Designated Position (TDP):This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.
About PNNL:At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov.
If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn.
For foreign national candidates:
See All 6 Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington
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Find JobsElectrical Systems Engineer Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Electrical Systems Engineer Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Aerospace & Defense
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in electrical systems engineer jobs across Washington.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline required
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized by the Washington State Department of Licensing preferred for senior roles
- Experience with electrical system design using CAD or ECAD tools such as AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN
- Familiarity with relevant codes and standards including NEC, IEEE, and MIL-STD for defense applications
- Proven ability to develop system schematics, load calculations, and electrical specifications independently
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills working alongside mechanical, software, and systems engineering teams
Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a electrical systems engineer in Washington?
The standard path is a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering followed by progressively responsible engineering work. Washington does not require a license to work as an electrical systems engineer in private industry, but a Professional Engineer license issued through the Washington State Department of Licensing significantly strengthens candidacy for senior and lead roles, particularly in defense contracting and public utilities. The PE requires passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, accumulating qualifying experience, and passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.
How much do electrical systems engineers make in Washington?
Electrical systems engineers in Washington earn a median of about $132,710 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $85,540 for the lowest 10% to over $185,690 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire electrical systems engineers in Washington?
Employers hiring electrical systems engineers in Washington right now include Blue Origin, Hatch, and TerraPower, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Washington's deep aerospace and defense sector means many of the largest and most consistent openings come from prime contractors and their suppliers concentrated in the greater Seattle area and along the I-405 and I-5 corridors.
Which Washington cities have the most electrical systems engineer jobs?
The most electrical systems engineer openings in Washington are concentrated in Seattle, Bellevue, and Richland. Seattle and its Puget Sound suburbs drive volume through aerospace, tech, and utilities employers, while the Tri-Cities area anchors demand through the Department of Energy's Hanford Site and its contractor network, making it a distinct hub for power and instrumentation engineers outside the main metro.
Are there remote electrical systems engineer jobs in Washington?
Yes, but they're uncommon. Electrical systems engineering is largely a hands-on discipline involving lab testing, hardware validation, and on-site system integration, which limits full remote arrangements. About 0% of electrical systems engineer openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and those roles tend to be in design review, documentation, and standards compliance work that can be completed off-site.
How can I get hired as a electrical systems engineer in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is a new-graduate or associate engineer role at one of Washington's large aerospace or defense contractors, which run structured rotational and early-career programs designed for candidates without professional experience. Boeing and the contractors supporting the Hanford Site regularly post associate engineer positions that accept recent graduates. Building a portfolio of capstone or personal design projects, pursuing EIT certification through the Washington State Department of Licensing, and targeting contract-to-hire roles at engineering staffing firms that serve the Puget Sound defense corridor are all concrete steps that improve early candidacy.
Where can I find and apply to electrical systems engineer jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to electrical systems engineer jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current Washington openings. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly from the listing.
See All 6 Electrical Systems Engineer Jobs in Washington
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