Product Engineer III

AeroVironment•Petaluma, CA

2d•$91,000 - $138,750

About The Position

As a Product Engineer III at AeroVironment, you provide sustaining engineering support for UAV systems used in military and commercial applications. The work includes design modifications to structural components, electro-mechanical assemblies, payloads, ground equipment, launching systems, and flight control actuators; prototype hardware development; design verification testing; and product configuration management. You also develop and maintain manufacturing drawings and bills of materials, support design reviews, help project managers plan and schedule engineering work, and support manufacturing teams and suppliers producing mechanical components and assemblies. The role supports a product line throughout its lifecycle, including product configuration and change management, production transitions, product improvements and variants, component obsolescence, and technical support for manufacturing, suppliers, and customers. It requires coordinating engineering documentation and production-related materials, resolving technical issues, and collaborating across engineering, program management, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, suppliers, and customers. This position requires access to ITAR- and/or EAR-controlled information. Applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under applicable regulations or be eligible for an export license; some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements. The position requires frequent travel to suppliers, system tests, and customer support activities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Lean Six Sigma experience or Green Belt certification.
Five to eight years of related experience in a similar role, including engineering design environment experience and support of products in production.
Strong understanding of configuration management principles.
Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals, mathematics, physics, material properties, electronics, systems, and software.
Demonstrated understanding of requirements for building production assemblies, including documentation for use on the production floor.
Demonstrated ability to integrate across technical disciplines and organizations, including program management, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, suppliers, and customers.
Proficiency with office software and computer-based productivity tools.
Ability to work in office and manufacturing environments.
Ability to sit and stand for long periods and to talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.
Ability to travel frequently to support suppliers, resolve product issues, participate in system tests, and support customers.
Must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR/EAR requirements or be eligible for an export license; some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience with unmanned air vehicles.
Experience with RF, digital, and communications electronics design; electronics manufacturing troubleshooting; PCB layout; schematics and assemblies; and design, drafting, or CAD using Altium, including ASME Y14 drawing standards.
Experience with Agile PLM data management systems and product configuration management standards such as MIL-HDBK-61A and EIA-649-B.
Competency in solving basic structural dynamics problems.
Ability to analyze data across diverse problems, evaluate identifiable factors, and resolve a wide range of issues creatively.
Sound judgment in selecting methods and techniques to obtain solutions, with attention to project cost and schedule.
Ability to complete tasks within schedule and budget with little day-to-day instruction.
Ability to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment where small teams share a broad variety of duties.
Strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives.
Ownership and responsibility for current and past work products.
Commitment to learning from mistakes and improving individual, team, and company performance.
Effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Teamwork and collaboration, prioritizing the success of the team.

Responsibilities

Provide sustaining engineering support for a product line.
Manage product-line configuration and change orders in the Agile PLM system.
Understand product design and features, manufacturing processes, and customer performance and configuration requirements.
Serve as a technical point of contact for ongoing support and change initiation, including managing manufacturing and customer issues escalated to engineering.
Assist with proposal and report writing and review contracts for production orders.
Help coordinate the transition of new products and product variants into production.
Coordinate the release and updating of engineering design documentation, operator manuals, bills of materials, manufacturing procedures, product acceptance test procedures, production tooling, and test equipment.
Coordinate development, testing, and release of product improvements and variants with product line managers, design engineers, and project managers.
Provide component obsolescence management for the product line.
Support customers with failure analysis, technical content for field bulletins, and general product information.
Work with suppliers, purchasing, and planning to resolve technical issues affecting production.
Perform other duties as assigned.