Hybrid Lead Sustaining Engineer at Sonatech

Sonatech, LLC is a premier undersea acoustics engineering and manufacturing company. With a focus on supplying advanced SONAR solutions for the US Navy, our technical expertise, customized design capabilities and diverse manufacturing abilities have led to Sonatech products being deployed in virtually every class of underwater Navy system currently in operation.

Located in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA, we pride ourselves on having a culture of innovation as well as first-class customer service. Sonatech has a challenging and rewarding work environment where employees have the opportunity to develop their careers by taking on new responsibilities and providing innovative solutions.

Job Description

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Lead Sustaining Engineer to manage the ongoing support and evolution of our electronic hardware products, with a strong emphasis on reliability, compliance, and lifecycle management in defense-related applications. This role includes supervisory responsibility over a small team of sustaining engineers and support staff, in addition to leading sustaining activities such as component engineering, PCB updates, and CAD library management. The Lead Sustaining Engineer will also mentor junior engineers and drive continuous improvement initiatives across the team.

The ideal candidate has a background in electronics design and sustaining engineering, preferably within the defense industry. A deep understanding of industry standards, obsolescence management, and regulatory compliance is essential.

Key Responsibilities

Product Lifecycle & Sustaining Engineering Management

• Be the primary point of contact for sustaining engineering within cross-functional teams.
• Own and manage the full product lifecycle for released electronic products.
• Drive sustaining engineering efforts to improve product quality, reliability and performance.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering to implement design improvements that optimize manufacturability and production efficiency.
• Support the resolution of hardware quality issues and customer-reported problems.
• Supervise and coordinate the daily activities of sustaining engineers and technical staff, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and on schedule.

Change Management & Operational Support

• Lead and support change management initiatives and engineering change orders (ECOs).
• Provide operational guidance during new product development to support efficient design, testing, and packaging.
• Participate in and facilitate design reviews, identifying areas for improvement and ensuring engineering best practices are upheld.
• Oversee component lifecycle management, including identifying replacements for obsolete or at-risk parts.
• Maintain and update the Approved Component List (ACL) with proper traceability and documentation.

CAD Librarian

• Own and manage the electronic CAD library (schematic symbols, PCB footprints, 3D models).
• Define and enforce CAD library standards, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and version control.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
• 7+ years of relevant hands-on electrical engineering experience, including leadership or supervisory roles
• Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit design.
• Proficiency with schematic capture tools, manufacturing systems, and project planning software.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Document Control Processes
• Proficiency with: Altium Designer (or similar ECAD tools), SolidWorks (for mechanical collaboration), MATLAB and LabVIEW, Microsoft Office 365
• Familiarity with digital communication systems and signal processing under 100 kHz bandwidth.
• Experience using project management tools and methodologies.
• Experience in defense industries, with working knowledge of industry regulations.

Required Citizenship and Security Clearance

• US Citizenship is required
• Secret or Ability to obtain clearance

Benefits

Benefits include medical, dental and vision, life insurance, paid vacation and sick time, 3% 401K contribution (no matching required), company events.

Sonatech is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

Job Type: Full-time, Onsite

Pay range: $125,000 - $175,000