Lead Engineer - Hardware Development

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

 

AV is seeking an experienced Lead Hardware Engineer to join the EE/RF Engineering team supporting the Titan Counter-UAS (C-UAS) program in San Diego, CA. In this role, you will serve as the technical lead for hardware development, production, and sustaining engineering efforts across a family of ruggedized RF and electronic subsystems. You will drive PCB design, analog/RF hardware integration, embedded systems work, and hardware qualification activities while providing technical leadership to a multidisciplinary team of electrical engineers and technicians.

This position requires deep hands-on expertise in RF hardware, strong familiarity with defense electronics standards, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, production-oriented environment. You will work cross-functionally with firmware, systems, and program management teams, and interface directly with contract manufacturers and suppliers.

Hardware Design & Development

• Lead design, review, and release of schematics and PCB layouts for RF receiver, transmitter, and control electronics used in C-UAS systems
• Own BOM generation, component selection, and revision management across board families
• Perform and guide signal integrity, power integrity, and RF link budget analysis
• Conduct and oversee design reviews (PDR, CDR) and ensure design traceability to system requirements
• Select and qualify connectors, passives, and active components to MIL-grade and IPC standards

RF & Embedded Systems

• Design and validate RF front-end circuits including LNAs, mixers, filters, and amplifier chains
• Support embedded hardware integration with MCUs (e.g., AVR ATmega32U4, RP2040) including fuse configuration, I/O mapping, and hardware bring-up
• Review and contribute to firmware interfaces including SPI, I2C, UART, and USB protocols in coordination with the firmware team
• Evaluate and characterize SPI NOR flash, RF shields, SMA/SMPM connectors, and other critical components for program use

Production & Quality

• Support contract manufacturer (CM) relationships including technical coordination of PCB fabrication (IPC-6012 Class 2/3) and PCBA assembly
• Manage hardware repair pipelines; triage, diagnose, and coordinate rework on fielded units
• Develop and maintain test procedures, assembly work instructions, and acceptance test specifications

Team Leadership & Program Support

• Provide technical mentorship to junior and mid-level electrical engineers and engineering technicians
• Coordinate with management on hardware schedules, risk identification, and status reporting
• Interface with vendors and suppliers to manage component lead times, qualification activities, and NRE efforts
• Contribute to proposal efforts, ROM generation, and engineering change order (ECO) processes

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, or a closely related field
• 6+ years of hardware design experience
• Demonstrated expertise in RF/microwave circuit design
• Proficiency with EDA tools (Altium Designer strongly preferred) for schematic capture and PCB layout
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment: spectrum analyzers, VNAs, oscilloscopes, signal generators
• Strong knowledge of PCB manufacturing standards (IPC-6012, IPC-A-610) and military environmental test standards (MIL-STD-810)
• Experience supporting contract manufacturers through NPI and production phases

• 2+ years in a leadership or senior individual contributor role
• Experience with ERP/PLM systems (e.g., Arena PLM, Odoo, Oracle Fusion) for BOM and change management
• Prior experience at a defense prime or Tier-1 defense subcontractor

Clearance Level

 

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$151,000 - $214,200

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:  AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.  For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit:  http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply.  NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

 

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship required