Lead Engineer - Hardware Development

AeroVironment•San Diego, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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
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
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
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