Hardware Design Engineer

AV; Maryland; On-site; USD 125,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

AV seeks a seasoned Hardware Design Engineer to lead hands-on development of embedded electrical hardware for mission-critical systems. You will design and verify schematics, PCBs, and interfaces, working with DoD customers and suppliers to meet stringent requirements. The role requires 12+ years of experience, U.S.

citizenship, and an active Top Secret clearance. You will collaborate across teams on electrical interfaces, qualification tests, and documentation, with emphasis on reliability and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience.
• U.S. citizen with an active Top Secret security clearance.
• Experience with circuit design and application.
• HDI PCB design and ECAD tools, preferably Altium Designer.
• Experience with classified test systems or cyber security policies.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and test electrical hardware for embedded platforms.
• Develop and manage electrical schematics, PCB layouts, wiring diagrams, and cable assemblies.
• Support component selection and procurement, ensuring conformance with military and environmental standards.
• Conduct design verification, validation, and hardware troubleshooting during lab tests.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to define electrical interfaces and ICDs.
• Assist in environmental qualification testing (e.g., vibration, thermal, shock).
• Support integration and test activities in lab and field environments.
• Document engineering work through drawings, reports, test plans, and configuration control.
• Assist with program schedule creation and hardware development planning.
• Develop engineering labor and material estimates.

Skills

Electrical design

Circuit analysis

Schematic capture

HDI PCB design

Power distribution design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

LTspice

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Python

Altium Designer

Job description

Job Description

The primary role of the Hardware Design Engineer is hands‑on engineering, focused on embedded electronics, subsystem integration, and associated testing. You will work closely with cross‑functional engineering teams, government customers, and suppliers to deliver cutting‑edge solutions in a mission‑critical environment.

Worker Type

Regular

Position Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and test electrical hardware for embedded platforms.
• Develop and manage electrical schematics, PCB layouts, wiring diagrams, and cable assemblies.
• Support component selection and procurement, ensuring conformance with military and environmental standards.
• Conduct design verification, validation, and hardware troubleshooting during lab tests.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to define and implement electrical interfaces, requirements, and ICDs.
• Assist in environmental qualification testing (e.g., vibration, thermal, shock).
• Support integration and test activities in lab and field environments.
• Document engineering work through detailed drawings, reports, test plans, and configuration control systems.
• Assist with program schedule creation and hardware development planning.
• Develop engineering labor and material estimates.

Job Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience.
• Candidate must be a U.S. citizen with an active Top Secret security clearance.
• Understanding and application of industry electrical engineering technical standards; demonstrated electrical component design experience.
• Experience with circuit design and application.
• Experience using analytical and simulation software tools, such as LTspice, LabView, MATLAB or Python, to analyze and reduce data to identify key characteristics and trends.
• Demonstrated experience in electrical power distribution and design systems system design.
• Ability to interpret and develop electrical schematics.
• Experience with requirements‑driven hardware design and circuitry design.
• Experience with classified test systems or systems subject to cyber security policies.
• Experience with analog and digital circuit design.
• Experience with HDI printed circuit board design and layout using ECAD tools (Strong preference for familiarity with Altium Designer).
• Ability to present engineering materials for requirements, design, and various milestones.
• Experience evaluating commercial off‑the‑shelf (COTS) parts for compliance.
• Experience researching, developing, designing and testing circuits, components and equipment systems.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing is essential.
• Must be proficient in the use of Microsoft business tools including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Experience supporting a DoD from concept through deployment.
• Experience developing and releasing formal engineering documentation including technical drawings, specifications, and test procedures.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office (Constant).
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent).

Salary Range

Salary range: $125,000 – $270,000. The pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Determination of official compensation or salary relies on several factors including, but not limited to, level of position, job responsibilities, geographic location, scope of relevant work experience, educational background, certifications, contract‑specific affordability, organizational requirements, alignment with local internal equity as well as alignment with market data.

Our compensation package also includes components designed to support employees’ total well‑being, which should be considered when evaluating our competitive benefits package. These benefits include health insurance, life insurance, disability, company holiday and paid time off, parental leave, 401(k) company match and contributions, professional development/training reimbursements, and other work/life programs.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants will be asked to provide specific documentation to verify U.S. person status under the ITAR and the EAR. A “U.S. person” according to their definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee, asylee. See 22 CFR.

• 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company matching; a 9/80 work schedule; and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.