Antares
Senior Electrical R&D Specialist – Antares
Join the Antares team as a Senior Electrical R&D Specialist. Antares is building mass‑producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space.
About the Company At Antares, our long‑term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity’s presence in outer space. The team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, and other leading organizations. Antares has raised over $39M in venture capital and more than $4M in government funding.
About the Team The Electrical Engineering team designs, builds, tests, installs, and operates the hardware that monitors and controls the reactor. The team turns core heat into usable electricity and collaborates across Antares to ensure critical parameter monitoring.
Roles and Responsibilities We are seeking a Senior Electrical R&D Specialist to establish and lead a multidisciplinary electrical lab supporting Engineering Development Units (EDUs), demo rigs, prototypes, and integrated test articles. Key responsibilities include:
Design and build panels and racks, fabricate harnesses and cable assemblies, and develop safe AC, DC, and high‑voltage test benches.
Integrate sensors and DAQ systems, perform hands‑on soldering and harnessing, standardize panel and rack designs, and implement interlocks and lockout/tagout procedures.
Ensure professional lab operations through calibration, ESD control, inventory management, documentation, and clear work instructions.
Install industrial controls hardware in compliance with NFPA 70 (NEC) and NFPA 79 standards.
Wire and modify electrical control panels in accordance with UL 508A standards, ensuring layouts meet safety and serviceability requirements.
Author LOTO procedures, arc‑flash labels, and PPE selection for energized work, aligned with NFPA 70E.
Troubleshoot faulty instrumentation, harnesses, and general electrical systems to restore safe and reliable operation.
Maintain the electrical shop, including tools, consumables, calibration of equipment, and the controls hardware inventory.
Build, solder, crimp, and verify harnesses and cable assemblies to IPC/WHMA‑A‑620 and IPC‑A‑610 workmanship standards; oversee box builds and PCB integration.
Design and operate modular AC/DC benches with protection, interlocks, and measurement capability; support high‑voltage bring‑up per NFPA 70E practices.
Plan, construct, and operate EDUs, demonstration rigs, and prototype test articles, including bring‑up procedures and integrated instrumentation for data capture.
Program and configure industrial controls hardware such as VFDs, motor starters, PLCs, and electronic circuit breakers.
Review and redline drawings and technical documentation, and provide design feedback to the engineering team.
Use EPLAN to generate reports, bills of material, wire lists, and manufacturing data; manage schematic documentation.
Define and enforce panel/rack and harnessing standards (wire color codes, labeling, test points) to drive repeatability and serviceability.
Create, maintain, and update assigned tasks for documenting and reporting work in progress and completed activities.
Collaborate with mechanical, firmware, and systems engineers to define interfaces, requirements, and integration plans for multidisciplinary test articles.
Ensure compliance with EMI/EMC, safety, environmental, and industry‑specific requirements in all test infrastructure and operations.
Mentor junior engineers and technicians, and lead small build/test teams to deliver milestones.
Prepare compliance document sets for UL 508A panels and NEC wiring (schematics, BoMs, wire lists, torque/spec sheets).
Basic Qualifications
High school diploma or GED.
5+ years of work in a relevant field (manufacturing, test, R&D).
4+ years working on electrical control systems.
Hands‑on panel/rack wiring and harness fabrication (crimping, soldering, continuity/hipot testing).
Experience with AC (single/three‑phase), DC, and safe HV bring‑up in a laboratory or test environment.
Preferred Skills & Experience
Experience with electrical troubleshooting.
Experience with schematic comprehension.
Experience working with complex systems such as cryogenic propellants, high‑pressure gas systems, hydraulics, or combustion devices.
Hands‑on skills in tube fabrication, metalworking, and wiring.
Hardware testing experience with rocket engines or spacecraft.
Experience in a startup or agile development environment.
UL 508A industrial control panel design/build; familiarity with NEC/NFPA 79.
Knowledge of EPLAN or similar ECAD (e.g., AutoCAD Electrical); ability to generate BoMs and wire lists.
Experience with PLC/VFD (Allen‑Bradley/Siemens), DAQ (NI cDAQ/cRIO or similar), instrumentation, and signal conditioning.
Awareness of EMI/EMC test best practices; grounding and shielding fundamentals.
Ability to create work instructions, calibration plans, and lab safety SOPs (LOTO/ESD).
Additional Requirements
Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones.
Location
Torrance, CA – a 145,000 sq ft, brand‑new facility with large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, and easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways.
Culture
Think in Systems – Energy and defense are complex ecosystems; think probabilistically and act accordingly.
Obsess over the End User – The customer and end user are often different; keep their needs central.
Be Unconstrained by Convention – Our limits are the laws of physics; pursue the seemingly impossible.
Craftsmen – Invest in personal growth, learning, and career development for exceptional contributors.
Loyally Collaborative – Team > Self; win together.
Equal Opportunity Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be:
A U.S. citizen or national;
A U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder);
A refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 or an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158; or
Eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Learn more about the ITAR requirements here.
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About the Company At Antares, our long‑term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity’s presence in outer space. The team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, and other leading organizations. Antares has raised over $39M in venture capital and more than $4M in government funding.
About the Team The Electrical Engineering team designs, builds, tests, installs, and operates the hardware that monitors and controls the reactor. The team turns core heat into usable electricity and collaborates across Antares to ensure critical parameter monitoring.
Roles and Responsibilities We are seeking a Senior Electrical R&D Specialist to establish and lead a multidisciplinary electrical lab supporting Engineering Development Units (EDUs), demo rigs, prototypes, and integrated test articles. Key responsibilities include:
Design and build panels and racks, fabricate harnesses and cable assemblies, and develop safe AC, DC, and high‑voltage test benches.
Integrate sensors and DAQ systems, perform hands‑on soldering and harnessing, standardize panel and rack designs, and implement interlocks and lockout/tagout procedures.
Ensure professional lab operations through calibration, ESD control, inventory management, documentation, and clear work instructions.
Install industrial controls hardware in compliance with NFPA 70 (NEC) and NFPA 79 standards.
Wire and modify electrical control panels in accordance with UL 508A standards, ensuring layouts meet safety and serviceability requirements.
Author LOTO procedures, arc‑flash labels, and PPE selection for energized work, aligned with NFPA 70E.
Troubleshoot faulty instrumentation, harnesses, and general electrical systems to restore safe and reliable operation.
Maintain the electrical shop, including tools, consumables, calibration of equipment, and the controls hardware inventory.
Build, solder, crimp, and verify harnesses and cable assemblies to IPC/WHMA‑A‑620 and IPC‑A‑610 workmanship standards; oversee box builds and PCB integration.
Design and operate modular AC/DC benches with protection, interlocks, and measurement capability; support high‑voltage bring‑up per NFPA 70E practices.
Plan, construct, and operate EDUs, demonstration rigs, and prototype test articles, including bring‑up procedures and integrated instrumentation for data capture.
Program and configure industrial controls hardware such as VFDs, motor starters, PLCs, and electronic circuit breakers.
Review and redline drawings and technical documentation, and provide design feedback to the engineering team.
Use EPLAN to generate reports, bills of material, wire lists, and manufacturing data; manage schematic documentation.
Define and enforce panel/rack and harnessing standards (wire color codes, labeling, test points) to drive repeatability and serviceability.
Create, maintain, and update assigned tasks for documenting and reporting work in progress and completed activities.
Collaborate with mechanical, firmware, and systems engineers to define interfaces, requirements, and integration plans for multidisciplinary test articles.
Ensure compliance with EMI/EMC, safety, environmental, and industry‑specific requirements in all test infrastructure and operations.
Mentor junior engineers and technicians, and lead small build/test teams to deliver milestones.
Prepare compliance document sets for UL 508A panels and NEC wiring (schematics, BoMs, wire lists, torque/spec sheets).
Basic Qualifications
High school diploma or GED.
5+ years of work in a relevant field (manufacturing, test, R&D).
4+ years working on electrical control systems.
Hands‑on panel/rack wiring and harness fabrication (crimping, soldering, continuity/hipot testing).
Experience with AC (single/three‑phase), DC, and safe HV bring‑up in a laboratory or test environment.
Preferred Skills & Experience
Experience with electrical troubleshooting.
Experience with schematic comprehension.
Experience working with complex systems such as cryogenic propellants, high‑pressure gas systems, hydraulics, or combustion devices.
Hands‑on skills in tube fabrication, metalworking, and wiring.
Hardware testing experience with rocket engines or spacecraft.
Experience in a startup or agile development environment.
UL 508A industrial control panel design/build; familiarity with NEC/NFPA 79.
Knowledge of EPLAN or similar ECAD (e.g., AutoCAD Electrical); ability to generate BoMs and wire lists.
Experience with PLC/VFD (Allen‑Bradley/Siemens), DAQ (NI cDAQ/cRIO or similar), instrumentation, and signal conditioning.
Awareness of EMI/EMC test best practices; grounding and shielding fundamentals.
Ability to create work instructions, calibration plans, and lab safety SOPs (LOTO/ESD).
Additional Requirements
Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones.
Location
Torrance, CA – a 145,000 sq ft, brand‑new facility with large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, and easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways.
Culture
Think in Systems – Energy and defense are complex ecosystems; think probabilistically and act accordingly.
Obsess over the End User – The customer and end user are often different; keep their needs central.
Be Unconstrained by Convention – Our limits are the laws of physics; pursue the seemingly impossible.
Craftsmen – Invest in personal growth, learning, and career development for exceptional contributors.
Loyally Collaborative – Team > Self; win together.
Equal Opportunity Antares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be:
A U.S. citizen or national;
A U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder);
A refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 or an asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158; or
Eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Learn more about the ITAR requirements here.
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