Director of Hardware Engineering

Proper Voltage; Carlsbad (CA); Hybrid; USD 230,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Proper Voltage in Carlsbad, CA, seeks a Director of Hardware Engineering to unify mechanical and electrical teams and drive complex electromechanical products from concept to production. You will shape architecture, guide senior leaders, and partner with operations for manufacturability.

We value senior technical judgment, leadership, and the ability to navigate ambiguity in a growing hardware-focused company. This hybrid-friendly role entails shaping the next era of power systems.

Qualifications

• Proven success leading hardware engineering organizations that span both mechanical and electrical disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience managing managers and coaching senior leaders.
• Deep technical credibility in at least one of mechanical or electrical engineering, with fluency in the other.
• 12+ years of engineering experience, with 5+ in leadership overseeing multidisciplinary hardware teams.
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or related field.
• Experience operating with high ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Lead a hardware engineering organization spanning mechanical and electrical disciplines, building a single team with shared ownership of product outcomes.
• Coach and elevate the heads of functions, providing senior technical partnership and management guidance.
• Set engineering standards, judgement, and accountability; advise the executive team on hardware strategy, risk, and investment.
• Ensure hardware work translates roadmaps into well-scoped engineering plans and credible technical execution.
• Manage risk by surfacing it early and resolving it decisively, even amidst evolving requirements.
• Ensure designs are manufacturable, serviceable and robust; collaborate with operations and supply chain on production transition.
• Drive learning from field performance back into design to improve product quality.
• Close gaps in the technical bench and establish scalable career paths for engineers.

Skills

Hardware leadership

Mechanical & electrical

Engineering management

Product strategy

Ambiguity handling

Education

Bachelor/Master in Electrical/Mechanical/Mechatronics

Tools

Power electronics

Job description

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

About Proper Voltage

Proper Voltage is unlocking the next generation of battery technology across robotics, data centers, and defense.

We're building intelligent battery systems that make advanced chemistries (sodium-ion, lithium-titanate, lithium-silicon) work in products that were never designed for them. Humanoid robots can upgrade power systems without redesigning their entire platform. Data centers get safer, cheaper backup power. Drones and autonomous vehicles get higher energy density without lengthy integration cycles.

If you want to work on hard engineering problems that matter this is the place.

Job Overview

As the Director of Hardware Engineering at Proper Voltage you will lead the teams responsible for the physical realization of our products, owning both the mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines across our portfolio. You will bring the senior technical judgment, organizational leadership and engineering rigor needed to turn two strong but distinct teams into a single, high‑performing hardware organization.

Your job is to elevate the existing team and leaders, to drive the architectural and execution decisions that span their domains, and to make sure mechanical and electrical work move forward as one integrated system rather than two adjacent silos.

If you are a deeply technical leader who knows how to grow other leaders, who can sit comfortably between disciplines, and who is energized by hardware that has to perform in demanding industrial environments, this is a role where you can shape one of the most important parts of the company.

What you'll do

• Lead a hardware engineering organization spanning mechanical and electrical disciplines, building a culture where the two operate as one team with shared ownership of product outcomes rather than disciplinary boundaries.
• Coach, mentor and elevate the existing functional heads, giving them the senior technical partnership and management guidance to operate at the next level.
• Set the standard for engineering excellence, judgment and accountability, and act as a trusted partner to the executive team on hardware strategy, risk and investment.
• Ensure hardware teams deliver against program commitments with the right balance of speed and rigor, partnering with Product & Programs to translate roadmaps into well-scoped engineering work and credible technical plans.
• Own engineering risk: surface it early, plan for it deliberately and resolve it decisively, leading through ambiguity when requirements or constraints are still in motion.
• Ensure hardware designs are manufacturable, serviceable and robust for an industrial customer base, and partner with operations, supply chain and quality on the transition from design into production.
• Drive learning from field performance back into design, building feedback loops that compound product quality over time.
• Close gaps in the technical bench across both disciplines, and establish the career paths, technical ladders and hiring standards that let the organization scale without diluting quality.
• Invest in the senior engineers and emerging leaders who will define the next stage of the company.

Required Qualifications

• Proven success leading hardware engineering organizations that span both mechanical and electrical disciplines, delivering complex electromechanical products from concept through to production.
• Demonstrated experience managing managers, including stepping into organizations where existing leaders need coaching and development to grow into their roles.
• Deep technical credibility in at least one of mechanical or electrical engineering, with strong working fluency in the other.
• 12 or more years of engineering experience, with at least 5 in leadership roles overseeing multidisciplinary hardware teams.
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience operating with high levels of ambiguity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with:
• Lithium ion, sodium ion, and other advanced energy storage technologies.
• DC-to-DC converters and digital controls in power electronics.
• High-voltage battery backup systems and pulsed power systems.
• Experience inheriting and turning around an engineering organization, including developing first-time managers into effective department heads.
• Experience in startups or high-growth technology companies, demonstrating adaptability and versatility across engineering disciplines.
• Company Equity
• Flexible PTO with a generous holiday policy
• Hybrid-friendly work schedule, with travel as needed

Ready to work on power systems that matter? Let's talk.

The pay range for this role is:

230,000 - 275,000 USD per year (Carlsbad Office)