Head of Drone Hardware

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Build, lead, and scale a multi-disciplinary hardware engineering organization spanning Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Integration, and Test
• Own the technical roadmap and architecture for all drone hardware products, from airframe and mechanical structures through full autonomy system integration
• Set technical direction on the tradeoffs between weight, strength, durability, power, and manufacturability that determine whether hardware meets mission requirements
• Drive projects through the full lifecycle, from 0 to 1 architecture and prototyping through high-volume production
• Establish and scale the engineering department and processes needed to meet committed customer deliverables on aggressive timelines
• Lead failure investigations and root cause analysis, and turn lessons learned into design and process improvements across the team
• Champion design for manufacturability, reliability, and field serviceability across the team’s work
• Hire, mentor, and grow engineering managers and individual contributors, and build a strong bench of technical leadership

Job requirements

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design, or a related technical field
• 15+ years of hardware engineering experience with 10+ years leading and scaling engineering teams or departments
• Deep, hands-on background in mechanical engineering and product design, including structural design, enclosure design, thermal management, and environmental protection for ruggedized systems
• Experience driving hardware designs through the full lifecycle, from concept and prototyping through high-volume production, with demonstrated expertise in Design for Manufacturing (DFM/DFA)
• Experience in hardware test and validation methodologies, including environmental stress screening and field or flight testing
• Proven track record of building, leading, and scaling hardware engineering organizations from the ground up
• Experience working directly with customers to align technical requirements and drive delivery on committed timelines