Hardware Engineering Manager

Fuse Integration • San Diego, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Fuse builds innovative communications, networking, and computing solutions for airborne, maritime, and ground environments. As the Hardware Engineering Manager, you will lead the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering teams, focusing on developing people, capabilities, processes, and engineering practices to deliver innovative, rugged, mission-ready hardware. This role involves functional management, including hiring, mentoring, performance management, career development, resource planning, and engineering processes. You will co-lead technical execution with Principal Engineers, guiding technical direction, managing risk, and mentoring engineers. The position requires strong technical breadth across electro-mechanical product development and collaboration with Systems, Software, Network, Product, Production, and Program teams throughout the development lifecycle.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related Engineering discipline
• 8+ years of experience developing complex hardware or electro-mechanical systems
• Proven experience leading engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, performance management, and career development
• Strong technical foundation in either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering with demonstrated ability to effectively lead and collaborate across both disciplines
• Experience developing complex electro-mechanical hardware from concept through design, prototype, integration, qualification, and production
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaboratively with Principal Engineers, senior technical contributors, and subject matter experts
• Experience managing engineering resources and priorities across multiple simultaneous projects or programs
• Strong understanding of design reviews, technical risk management, configuration management, and engineering change control
• Familiarity with hardware verification, environmental qualification, and applicable military/industry standards
• Strong communication skills across technical teams, leadership, customers, suppliers, and program stakeholders
• U.S. Citizen with ability to obtain Secret Clearance

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing ruggedized hardware for defense, aerospace, maritime, or harsh-environment applications
• Background in tactical communications, networking, computing, or command-and-control systems
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-704, DO-160, or similar environmental and electrical qualification standards
• Experience with SolidWorks, PDM, and related mechanical CAD environments
• Familiarity with electrical design tools, cable/harness design, PCB development, power systems, structural analysis, or thermal analysis
• Experience with prototype builds, FAI, qualification testing, NPI/NPD, and manufacturing transition
• Experience working in a matrix engineering organization supporting multiple programs
• Active Secret Clearance

Responsibilities

• Lead and functionally manage Fuse's Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers and Designers.
• Mentor and develop engineers through coaching, performance management, goal setting, and career development.
• Recruit and retain high-performing engineering talent to support Fuse's continued growth.
• Establish clear roles, expectations, career paths, and development opportunities across Hardware Engineering.
• Identify capability gaps and develop strategies for staffing, training, tooling, processes, and outside technical support.
• Co-lead Hardware Engineering technical execution with the Principal Mechanical and Principal Electrical Engineers.
• Partner with Principal Engineers to establish technical direction, engineering standards, design practices, and expectations for technical quality.
• Maintain a clear partnership between functional leadership and technical authority.
• Facilitate technical decisions and escalation when mechanical, electrical, systems, manufacturing, cost, schedule, or program requirements compete.
• Partner with Principal Engineers to identify technical risk early and drive appropriate analysis, testing, trade studies, or design changes.
• Provide leadership across the hardware lifecycle from concept and requirements through design, analysis, prototyping, integration, qualification, production transition, and sustainment.
• Ensure designs appropriately address performance, reliability, manufacturability, maintainability, environmental requirements, and lifecycle needs.
• Promote effective electro-mechanical integration and early collaboration between Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
• Drive continuous improvement of engineering processes, tools, CAD/PDM practices, design reviews, configuration management, and documentation.
• Partner with Principal Engineers and Systems Engineering to address applicable military and industry standards.
• Align Hardware Engineering resources with program and product priorities in partnership with Program Management and Product leadership.
• Provide engineering inputs to proposals, ROMs, WBS development, staffing plans, schedules, and execution strategies.
• Balance capacity across customer programs, internal product development, sustaining engineering, technical debt, and emerging needs.
• Identify resource constraints, technical risks, and schedule concerns early and drive mitigation with leadership.
• Support NPD/NPI to ensure designs are mature, documented, manufacturable, and ready for Production.
• Partner with the Systems Engineering Manager to align system architecture and requirements with mechanical and electrical execution.
• Collaborate with Software, Network, Cyber, Product, Programs, Production, Quality, Configuration Management, and Supply Chain throughout the product lifecycle.
• Work with Production and Supply Chain to ensure designs address manufacturability, supplier capability, first article requirements, and production scalability.
• Represent Hardware Engineering in customer engagements, technical interchange meetings, program reviews, and field integration events.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Covered for employee, and a portion of dependents' coverage is covered as well
• 11 paid Federal Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 40 hours of paid sick leave per year
• 401k with employer matching
• Annual bonuses
• Cell phone reimbursement: $100/month

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager