Electrical System Engineer Principal $40K Sign On Bonus at BAE Systems
Westminster, CO
$118,095–$200,762from the description
Aug 13, 2026
Westminster, CO
Sep 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
This is an electrical engineering lead role at BAE Systems focused on space-based electronic control systems for precision mechatronic applications — scan mechanisms, fast steering mirrors, cryocoolers, and similar hardware. The position involves technical leadership of a multidisciplinary team through the full program lifecycle, from concept and design through production, integration, test, and launch, serving NASA, NOAA, DoD, and classified customers.
Senior level · 6+ years · Bachelor's required · Full-time
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 2 times — it's one opening, so apply once.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
What the occupation pays Median $138,970 (middle half $107,524–$175,762). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Aug 18, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
The job title includes 'Principal' but the requirements (BS + 6 years) and scope (leading one team through a program lifecycle) are consistent with a Senior-level role; 'Principal' here appears to be an internal grade designation rather than an org-wide technical authority role.
No specific work location city is stated in the posting; the role is on-site (3+ days/week) at a BAE Systems campus, but the campus location is not identified — CBSA left blank.
A security clearance is not required at hire, but the candidate must be willing and eligible to obtain one depending on program requirements. This is not a hard gate at application time.
The $40,000 sign-on bonus is for external hires only.
Motor control theory, power amplifier design, FPGA control/signal conditioning, circuit-level signal processing, and power conversion are listed as 'technical competence in any of the following areas' — meaning the JD requires proficiency in at least some of these, but not necessarily all. They are marked as required given their placement in the Required Skills section.
Closed loop stability analysis, encoder/resolver experience, analog/digital circuit design, FPGA, PCB layout, and electronics packaging appear under Preferred Education, Experience & Skills.
The SOC classification is a judgement call: this role is primarily an electronics/electrical systems engineering role (not a software developer in the traditional sense), but no SOC in the allowed list perfectly covers electrical/electronics engineers. 15-1252 is selected as the closest match given the embedded algorithm, FPGA, and controls software content; 15-1299 is noted as an alternative.
Ignored 5 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): power amplifier design, PCB design, closed loop stability analysis, analog circuit design, digital circuit design.
Read the full posting
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