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Salary: USD 175,000 - 205,000 / annual
Seer is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineering Architect to lead the electrical design of a next-generation mass spectrometer for life sciences and proteomics applications. This role reports to the Director of Systems Integration and is based in the Redwood City facility.
You will architect comprehensive electrical systems for a novel time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, managing the complex electromagnetic environments inherent to charged particle beam instrumentation. The role demands expertise in designing systems with extreme precision, stability, and noise immunity to ensure optimal ion beam fidelity for advanced analytical workflows, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS).
Key responsibilities include:
- Architecting the complete electrical system layout for the TOF mass spectrometer
- Specifying high-voltage DC power supply architecture (up to 15 kV) for precision ion optics and flight tubes
- Developing robust high-voltage RF systems (~1-2 MHz, ~4 kV amplitudes) for ion guides, funnels, quadrupoles, and traps with high stability and low temperature drift
- Implementing rigorous grounding, shielding, and isolation strategies to mitigate RF pickup on lenses and signal lines
- Engineering component-level solutions to minimize electronic noise, voltage ripple, and thermal drift that impact ion beam trajectories, mass resolution, and accuracy
- Overseeing integration of high-voltage electronics within high-vacuum systems and defining system-level cabling and interconnect strategies
Required qualifications include a Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or closely related discipline, with 10+ years of hands-on experience in academic or life-sciences industry laboratory settings (biotech startup experience preferred). You must demonstrate architectural design experience with mass spectrometers, electron microscopes, focused ion beam systems, particle accelerators, or similar technology. Proven expertise in high-voltage DC and high-amplitude RF electronics design, signal integrity, ultra-low noise analog circuit design, and precision timing circuits is essential. Deep understanding of physical challenges in guiding low-energy ion beams without phase-space distortion is required. Strong written and oral communication skills, cross-functional collaboration abilities, and self-starter mentality are critical for success in this fast-paced, small-team environment.
