Principal Systems Engineer, Communications Hardware (Remote Eligible | Relocation Assistance Available)

Axon•Chicago, IL

10h•$210,600 - $242,100•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal Hardware Systems Architect to own system architecture and technical integration across electrical, RF, mechanical, thermal, and power domains. Joining as a founding leader within the Axon 911 hardware team, you will define and drive the technical standards, architecture, and engineering processes that shape how our mission-critical hardware is designed, validated, and scaled to mass production. You will partner closely with Electrical Engineering (EE), Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering, Software (SW) Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering (ME) leads to define system requirements, drive cross-functional design decisions, and ensure each subsystem comes together as a cohesive, production-ready device. When technical constraints compete, from antenna performance and enclosure design to thermal budgets and power delivery, you will be responsible for driving the system-level decision.

Requirements

10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with deep expertise in at least two of electrical engineering, RF engineering, or mechanical engineering and strong working knowledge of the third.
Proven experience owning system architecture and cross-disciplinary technical decisions for complex, integrated hardware, including the judgment to resolve competing engineering constraints.
Track record of taking compact, connected, battery-powered hardware from concept through mass production, including EVT/DVT/PVT, certification, and manufacturing ramp.
Deep experience across RF/antenna integration, power architecture, thermal management, EMI/EMC, shielding, enclosure design, and mechanical tolerances.
Experience developing system requirements and validation plans, with familiarity across U.S. and international hardware certification and regulatory requirements.
Experience working with ODM/JDM or contract manufacturing partners through development and production.
Familiarity with relevant hardware design, simulation, testing, and lifecycle tools, such as Altium/Cadence, SolidWorks/Creo/NX, RF and electrical test equipment, thermal characterization tools, and PLM/BOM or requirements-management systems.
Strong ability to communicate technical risk to senior leadership and thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while helping establish the standards and processes needed to scale.

Responsibilities

Develop system architecture with consideration for industrial design, electrical design, radio frequency integration, mechanical design, software, and product management.
Build system architectures, block diagrams, and interaction diagrams to guide implementation.
Analyze power, thermal, and computational budget constraints, and develop solutions that balance performance, size, and cost.
Lead concept studies with internal and external development teams and present outcomes and recommendations.
Write and vet system requirements with clear, testable design targets for engineering and test teams.
Review and provide input on product requirements for next-generation devices.
Simulate and estimate subsystem capability against requirements.
Manage requirements and maintain traceability from PRD through V&V.
Lead cross-discipline design reviews and organize cross-functional system reviews, building stakeholder buy-in.
Resolve competing engineering constraints and provide technical direction to EE, RF, and ME leads.
Own the system-level verification and validation strategy, catching integration risks before certification and production.
Perform risk analysis, develop mitigation strategies, and close the loop on design characterization and verification results.
Carry technical accountability for program schedule and risk, translating complex engineering tradeoffs into clear decisions for program and executive leadership.
Partner with ODM/JDM and manufacturing teams on DFM/DFA, engineering builds, and production readiness.
Own the system-level certification strategy across U.S. and international regulatory standards.