Staff Hardware Engineer

Performance Drone Works (PDW) builds technologies for the warfighter, by the warfighter. Born out of the Drone Racing League, our roots are competitive, our mindset is tactical, and our mission is clear: deliver purpose-built unmanned systems to those who serve. We are not here to sell vapor; we build and ship real capabilities for real missions. 

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a Staff Hardware Engineer to join our team, contributing to the next wave of system and tool development for our upcoming product lines. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in assisting in architectural design, parts selection, validation test design, and overseeing hardware and software development cycles for a variety of sUAS systems. The ideal candidate will thrive working in an innovative and fast-paced work environment, have excellent critical thinking skills, and play a pivotal role in assisting in architectural design, parts selection, validation test design, and overseeing hardware and software development cycles for a variety of sUAS systems.  

What You’ll Do  

• Perform Hardware design tasks such as schematic capture, schematic review, PCB layout, PCB layout review, architecture design and parts selection. 

• Work together with the Hardware Engineering team to develop trajectories for our hardware projects. 

• Take ownership of multi-board systems and coordinate engineering design between multiple engineers working PCB assemblies. 

• Closely coordinate with other engineering disciplines to ensure that mechanical and software requirements are met. 

• Collaborate with manufacturers to quote, fabricate, and assemble PCB assemblies. 

• Develop testing criteria, plans, and test fixtures for design verification and production certification. 

• Generate engineering-grade reports, perform part cost analysis, and define part performance measurement criteria. 

• Assist in the identification and implementation of process improvements. 

• Collaborate with a strong engineering team and company stakeholders. 

• Provide mentorship to more junior engineers to grow their effectiveness in their trade. 

Requirements 

• Strong skills in Altium Designer, including schematic drafting, PCB layout, draftsman fabrication and assembly notes, and manufacturing outputs. 

• Expert level knowledge of electronic hardware and system design. 

• Very strong experience with MIPI-CSI, MIPI-DSI, Gigabit Ethernet, and other high-speed signals with the skillset to implement these signals including controlled impedance design, length matching, and transmission line design. 

• Knowledge of common communication buses; such as I2C, CAN, Serial, and SPI – along with their debugging procedures. 

• Very strong experience in analog circuit design with a focus on power electronics. 

• Extensive experience with designing PCB stack ups and design constraints to optimize for power distribution, noise reduction, and manufacturability. 

• Hands on lab experience with electrical engineering lab measurement tools and adept soldering skills. 

• Candidates with experience in UAV aircrafts, robotics development, and/or hobby drones will be given special consideration. 

• Proficiency in MS Office tools, including Project. 

• 7+ years professional