Head of Drone Hardware

• 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

• Work directly with external customers as a core responsibility, aligning technical requirements and driving customer success

• Partner cross-functionally with autonomy, software, program management, and manufacturing leaders to ensure hardware designs meet mission 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

• Background in Electrical Engineering, including PCB design, schematic capture, and power distribution systems

• Background in Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering, with an understanding of what makes an aircraft fly: aerodynamics, stability, and propulsion integration

• Direct leadership experience in drones, space, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), or similar complex hardware products

• Blend of background in consumer electronics combined with experience in defense, automotive, trucking, construction, mining, or agriculture

• Experience executing committed deliverables for defense programs or major enterprise customers

Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.